Shades

by Marguerite Poland

This is a novel of love and dispossession in which individual destinies are played out against the backdrop of the country's wider conflicts at the turn of the century, particularly the turbulence and discord wrought by the inevitable clash of different cultures.

Genres: Historical Fiction, South Africa, Fiction, Africa, African Literature, Cultural, Romance

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Sue]

This story nearly broke my heart. The tragedy of Crispin and the three Pumani brothers, especially Sonwabo, promises to linger for ages.
I agree with the reviewer who applauds M Poland for her approximation of the great 'British tradition' of C Bronte et al. Her prose is exquisite, poetic and she gets into the very fibre of each of her characters. At all times she and we are sensitive to the landscape, described so meticulously that it seems to participate actively in every drama and mood. The plot of 'Shades' will not be hurried, which works particularly well for the setting in time and place: St Matthias's mission, Fingoland, Eastern Cape in the early 1900s. Then comes the rinderpest, starvation and young men must leave - which changes everything. Brutally contrasted with the rural quiet is Johannesburg's mining industry, where bureaucrats and mine supervisors are cruel and corrupt and war threatens. The link between these two environments is Victor Drake who redeems his selfishness and betrayals at the end, in one stroke. It is a brilliant ending which uplifts the reader.

Despite that, this is a searingly sad story. It is also one of the finest reading experiences I've enjoyed for years.(I had no idea it had been a school setwork for so many years.) Thank you, Marguerite, my contemporary Old Rhodian.

[Margitte]

I read this book a few years ago and fell in love with the author's writing style. It will have to be re-read for a proper review, but I just wanted to add it to my book list.

[Pamela]

Loved this book. Considering I hated history at school, I now love books that give glimpses into how life was lived in a different time period and how things that happend then can be seen in todays society.

[Anne]

Young minister Walter arrives in 1902 from England to his new assignment, the St. Matthias mission in the Eastern Cape region of Africa, to serve alongside Father Charles and his family. The book begins with a tragedy, then we slowly unravel how it got there, as Walter settles in to a new land, his vocation, and his relationship with the family - and how the family is eventually pulled in different directions in the same way the country is, with war, drought, and a rinderpest pandemic.

A colleague from South Africa sent this book to me when she heard that I love to read, and while I was admittedly a little lost at times when it comes to the politics/history of this region, I really appreciated learning from it - and for something with a lot of sad/heavy/religion/colonialism stuff, I found it a pleasant surprise how engaging and readable it was - thanks to the lovely character of Walter, and thanks to a bit of soapy love triangle situation too. In general it's a love story, the story of a family, and a story of faith, but the happenings and local tensions at St. Matthias are also meant to be a microcosm illustrating the broader picture of what was going on in the region at the time (colonial politics/racism, wars, nascent gold mining industry and burgeoning labor issues, tension between Christianity and the traditional beliefs in the ancestral shades). Admittedly some of these connections went over my head, not being super familiar with the specifics of the time period/region, but it did make for engaging reading given the grounding that the big-picture historical fiction had in this smaller set of characters (that being said, it did take me a long time to remember some of the minor characters and their roles at the mission).

Though occasionally some of the foreshadowing felt melodramatic, in general the writing feels quite atmospheric and evocative of the time and place - early 1900s in a small mission outpost in South Africa, with periods difficult weather and crop/animal diseases but also with the beauty of the land, the little mission community, and also plenty on the mysteries of faith, with this focus on missionaries. The theme of "shades" worked nicely for this, illustrating the spiritualism of the native peoples that Walter comes to incorporate in his mission, but also of course serving as a metaphor for skin color - and the racism and rising cultural tensions in South Africa. I'd recommend this for people interested in historical fiction, or perhaps some classics from authors like Willa Cather or Graham Greene, as an interesting compare/contrast with some of the religious mission/pioneering/expanding colonial times in the Americas.

[Tammy]

Haunting, heartbreaking, exquisite. Holding the pain of ‘Cry, the Beloved Country’ and the wise and insightful writing of George Eliot.

A visceral look at what (intentional or not) carelessness looks like and its devastating consequences.

Reminding me too of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s comment in The Great Gatsby:

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

A reminder too to take a long look at the things that we should, but do not do.

[John]

A fascinating study of race in South Africa just before the Anglo-Boer (African) War. And a pretty average love story. Poland paints a vivid picture of white racism in an era before racism was a thing. The heroes in this book nevertheless "get it," while the anti-heroes don't. I also enjoyed the portrayal of religion, of doubt, and of missionary zeal in this book. I did find it started off very slowly, and it didn't take long to figure out how the romance would end, and for those two reasons didn't give it a five.

[Heather Ashington]

Evocative, foreboding, emotional. Six stars.

[Fiona Hayne]

A great read set in the early 1900's in South Africa. The descriptions of the Eastern Cape countryside, the devastating plagues and droughts, and the attitudes of the majority of the Settlers to the African peoples, are brilliant and so very realistic. (And re the latter - just so sad). There is much depth to this book, so not a book to be rushed, but savour

[Kathe Coleman]

Shades by Marguerite Poland
Shades is an historical novel first published in 1993 and is said to be based on the author’s ancestors. It is set against the backdrop of the South African war, the drought, the rinderpest pandemic which sent many cattle men to seek work in the gold mines just to survive. Charles Farbourough was a missionary who lived in St. Matias along with his wife Emily, son Crispin, cousin Victor and Benedict their adopted son who was being sponsored by English family. Walter Brownley, Charles’s assistant is the protaganist and tells the story of the growing tensions between cultures in South Africa at the turn of the twentieth century and the deepening awareness of the black mission-educated elite, Shades is beautifully written with themes of friendship, love, loss, wavering faith and belonging. 4. 5

[Yvonne Eloise]

This was at first a horrible, horrible book to read. It truly was an awful set-work book. But then I finished reading it. Not only does it have a beautiful ending, which still gives me butterflies years later, but when I just took a step back and really thought through the intricate details and nuances of the book as a whole, I fell in love with the novel. Head-over-heels in love.

[Martin Newlands]

Remarkable. Every South African should read it.

[Vuyo Makasi]

After reading this book, I visited the mission where the novel is set. Strong story, great writing.

[Keshnee Naidoo]

An amazing book by a wonderful South African Writer. I couldn't tear myself away from reading this book.

[Marlenah]

Imagine a faraway missionary farm in South Africa, towards the end of the 19th century. Where, on the one side, British values and tradtions are being kept and honoured, but where others are understanding of the local traditions and culture. Imagine a diverse set of characters and a complex love story. Which slowly develops and finds its depth. In which the world, history itself, is changing.
Read this book and feel yourself disappear in a world which has since been long gone...

[Violet]

"I have no doubt, little Frances, you will sometimes walk across my dreams. If you do, step gently."

This is one of the most romantic books I have ever read, yet absolutely tragic too. It would be utterly heartbreaking if not for the salve to the soul that is the sweetness of an ending to leave us with a little hope that even in absolute desolation, there is something worth holding onto.

[Kanyisa]

Found it quite difficult to read. The style of English quite the formal and for and older era. The story was so captivating though, it kept me reading on till the very last page. It's the kind of book you just dont forget after you read.

[Frances Ions]

I couldn’t finish this book as a setwork for school, and finally took it off the shelf to read as an adult 17 years later. Admittedly it took me about 150 pages to get into the book, but once there I was in. This book is heartbreaking, but beautiful. A realistic depiction of South Africa’s past.

[Nomvelo]

I read this book back in high school and remember it leaving quite an impression on me. It's one of the few prescribed works that I actually enjoyed. Would probably need to revisit it to give a proper review.

[Carmen Rossler]

Excellent book.

[Aneesa]

Phenomenal!

[Ann Booth]

Beautiful story. Well written.

[Gillian Nicholson]

We are taken by Ms Poland on a journey of the heart. Written back in 1993 this book still rates as exceptional. The characters and your feelings for them evolve in the course of the story. The prose and innuendo and the strong historical backbone make this a book worthy of challenging future South African generations of English scholars as a set work.

[Paddy Balsdon]

Simply fabulous. Wonderful writing great story. I loved every word. I hope the film makers do it justice.

[Stefan Niekerk]

Amazing use of language

[An Zwinnen]

Ik vond het een langdradig liefdesromannetje....

[Brenda Wainwright]

An Evocative Tale

Beautifully written & achingly sad in many aspects. An enjoyable read. The author's choice of words & her descriptions are incredible. What a gift she has.

[Ashley]

It was empty.

[Wendy Koedoot]

Zuid-Afrika, 1898. De anglicaanse pastor Walter Brownley arriveert in St. Matthias, een missiepost aan de Oostkaap. Vol twijfels over zijn roeping heeft hij Engeland verlaten, maar op St. Matthias lijkt hij zijn bestemming gevonden te hebben. Charles Farborough, de missiepriester, is een zachtaardig man met warm hart voor de Xhosabevolking.
Tegen wil en dank ontluikt bij Walter een diepe genegenheid voor Farboroughs dochter Frances – een onmogelijke liefde, want zij is voorbestemd voor een huwelijk met haar jeugdvriend Victor Drake.

Je maakt kennis met Walter en de familie Farborough, waar Frances de dochter van is.
Het verhaal leest vlot ondanks de Zuid-Afrikaanse namen.Je kan je goed in de situatie van Frances inleven en voelt haar genegenheid voor Walter. De schrijfster heeft de sfeer van het verhaal goed verwoord. Je voelt bijna alsof je in Zuid-Afrika bent.
Het is een romantisch verhaal met de nodige tragedie erin.

[Sindie]

I read this book twice, it was one of our setwork books in high school and I read it on my matric year in 2005 and a few years later. I remember clearly how well I did in the final examination because of how much I loved this book.

A very well told story of love, life and loss; it best chronicles the history in a land of my grandfathers, as it is set where my grandparents lived. I almost felt like I relived most of it, as I recognised some of the landmarks that were narrated in the story.

If I could remember more details, I would have a much lengthier recollection of Shades, but even some of the names have since left me.

[Katherine Graham]

What an amazingly textured book this is - hauntingly beautiful, very sad, but with a hopeful ending. I loved the way that Poland wove together the stories of her "shades" - her real ancestors - which she imaginatively recreates. The backdrop of turn-of-the-century South Africa with the lure of the gold mines heightened the drama. The ruin of Crispin is inevitable - from the first glimpses, we see that his story will end in disaster - but there is a happy ending in store for Walter and Frances, which lightens the sadness. I'm really getting into SA literature at the moment. This one is highly recommended!