A Blade of Grass

A story of two women's lives in the turmoil of Africa.Set on the border between South Africa and an unnamed country, A Blade of Grass tells the story of Marit Laurens, a young woman of British descent, recently orphaned and newly wed, who comes to live with her husband, Ben, on their new farm. As the days pass peacefully in this idyllic setting, the old traditions are maintained: Ben and Marit manage the farm, and their black workers cultivate the fields and tend the animals. But when...
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A story of two women's lives in the turmoil of Africa.Set on the border between South Africa and an unnamed country, A Blade of Grass tells the story of Marit Laurens, a young woman of British descent, recently orphaned and newly wed, who comes to live with her husband, Ben, on their new farm. As the days pass peacefully in this idyllic setting, the old traditions are maintained: Ben and Marit manage the farm, and their black workers cultivate the fields and tend the animals. But when guerrilla violence and tragedy visit their lives, Marit finds herself in a tug of war between the local Afrikaner community that surrounds the farm and the black workers who live on it. Frightened and confused, she turns to the only person who can offer her friendship, a person who is also alone in the world - her maid, Tembi.When Marit stubbornly determines to run the farm with Tembi's help, the encroaching civil war brings out their conflicting loyalties. The fight for the farm becomes a fight for their lives. As the novel proceeds to its devastating conclusion, it reveal a tale that is both terrifying and hopeful, offering a profound perspective on what it means to be black and white in a country where both live and feel entitlement.A Blade of Grass resonates with lyricism and deep insight, moving beyond its own time and place to become a universal story of the price of freedom.