Search results for ""author rayda jacobs""

In her award-winning novel, Eyes of the Sky, Rayda Jacobs explores the complex and interconnected lives of the settlers and the enslaved in eighteenth century South Africa. Controlled by the Dutch for over a century, The Cape of Good Hope witnessed the horrific enslavement of over sixty thousand men and women. Living amongst them were the Kloots; an old farming family recently settled on the edge of Cape Colony in the late eighteenth century. In this impactful, haunting historical novel, we follow the saga of their lives as they pass from generation to generation. Full of dark history and unexpected twists, Eyes of the Sky is a remarkable tale of identity, betrayal, forbidden love, and the fusing of people and cultures.

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Heartwarming yet tough, this unforgettable story centers around a brave, young black girl named Joonie from Grassy Park, South Africa. When both her uncle and local priest attempt to take sexual advantage of her, Joonie refuses their advances. For all her fortitude, however, Joonie is slow to learn from the past—especially with respect to relationships—and she soon finds herself single and pregnant. A journey of self-discovery, this narrative chronicles Joonie’s coping with a shocking revelation about her identity in a foreign country and celebrates her indomitable spirit.

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In this powerful, poignant and distinctively South African collection of short stories, Rayda Jacobs - leaving suddenly for Canada at the age of 21, to return for good only 27 years later - seeks to understand the deep marks that South Africa has left upon her. Frequently funny, often serious, always deceptively simple - these 'postcards' are the compassionate yet challenging creation of a gifted storyteller.

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