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The Turning Wheels
It was one of the many convoys that were going north into the great unknown. One of the many that, coming to ranges of mountains that were impassable, dismantled their wagons, and passed them; man-handling them over cliffs and gorges and rebuilt them on the other side; that finding rivers too deep to be forded, swam their beasts and floated their wagons across the "yellow river" into the Transvaal; and beyond that again to it's northernmost limits; to the low veld, to the banks of the Crocodile and the Limpopo. It was the seepage of a small, great-hearted people into a continent.
It was the great trek.
It was the great trek.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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About the author
Stuart Cloete
67 books9 followersStuart Cloete was born in France in 1897 to a Scottish mother and South African father. (His ancestors had come from Holland with Jan Van Riebeck to establish a settlement for the Dutch East India Company).
He remembered his early years in Paris with nostalgia, but the ideal was shattered when he began his schooling in France and England. He never excelled academically and - in his own words - ‘learnt almost nothing'.
At the age of 17 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (at the beginning of the First World War in 1914) into the Ninth King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, before later transferring to the Coldstream Guards. While nearly all of his early fellow officers and friends died, he survived four years of fighting in France and, for a while, was treated like a living lucky charm by the troops. He was seriously injured twice, and experienced amnesia induced by ‘shell-shock' which was largely left untreated. In a mental hospital in London, he met his first wife, a volunteer nurse, Eileen Horsman, and fell in love, even inducing a second breakdown with aspirin and whisky so he could see her again.
After recuperating in France, Cloete acted on his compulsion to identify with the land of his ancestors. He became a successful farmer in the Transvaal in South Africa. But as soon as he had established himself and achieved his aims he became restless again and began pondering a life as a writer. His eighteen year marriage floundered through growing incompatibility and Cloete's infidelity.
He sold up and left for England to become an author, leaving Eileen behind in South Africa. He recalled the decision to become a writer as the biggest gamble of his life. But, as it turned out, he hit the jackpot with his first novel, Turning Wheels, published in 1937. It sold more than two million copies, although it was banned in South Africa where it scandalized the authorities with its commentary on the Great Trek and a mixed-race relationship. Cloete was a prolific writer and went on to complete 14 novels and at least eight volumes of short stories.
On the way to America to promote Turning Wheels, Cloete met Tiny ( Mildred Elizabeth West) who later became his second wife. It was not love at first sight but eventually he realized he had found a soul mate. Tiny enjoyed the fruits of his success as a highly acclaimed writer and was his faithful companion until his death in Cape Town in 1976.
Cloete lived through a period of unprecedented upheavals and in his autobiography, published in the early 70s, he pondered whether ‘progress' was in fact a misnomer; it had ushered in colorless uniformity and even the threat of nuclear war. He also reflected on the chapters of his vagabond, eventful and, in his view, incredibly lucky life. He left behind no children.
He remembered his early years in Paris with nostalgia, but the ideal was shattered when he began his schooling in France and England. He never excelled academically and - in his own words - ‘learnt almost nothing'.
At the age of 17 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (at the beginning of the First World War in 1914) into the Ninth King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, before later transferring to the Coldstream Guards. While nearly all of his early fellow officers and friends died, he survived four years of fighting in France and, for a while, was treated like a living lucky charm by the troops. He was seriously injured twice, and experienced amnesia induced by ‘shell-shock' which was largely left untreated. In a mental hospital in London, he met his first wife, a volunteer nurse, Eileen Horsman, and fell in love, even inducing a second breakdown with aspirin and whisky so he could see her again.
After recuperating in France, Cloete acted on his compulsion to identify with the land of his ancestors. He became a successful farmer in the Transvaal in South Africa. But as soon as he had established himself and achieved his aims he became restless again and began pondering a life as a writer. His eighteen year marriage floundered through growing incompatibility and Cloete's infidelity.
He sold up and left for England to become an author, leaving Eileen behind in South Africa. He recalled the decision to become a writer as the biggest gamble of his life. But, as it turned out, he hit the jackpot with his first novel, Turning Wheels, published in 1937. It sold more than two million copies, although it was banned in South Africa where it scandalized the authorities with its commentary on the Great Trek and a mixed-race relationship. Cloete was a prolific writer and went on to complete 14 novels and at least eight volumes of short stories.
On the way to America to promote Turning Wheels, Cloete met Tiny ( Mildred Elizabeth West) who later became his second wife. It was not love at first sight but eventually he realized he had found a soul mate. Tiny enjoyed the fruits of his success as a highly acclaimed writer and was his faithful companion until his death in Cape Town in 1976.
Cloete lived through a period of unprecedented upheavals and in his autobiography, published in the early 70s, he pondered whether ‘progress' was in fact a misnomer; it had ushered in colorless uniformity and even the threat of nuclear war. He also reflected on the chapters of his vagabond, eventful and, in his view, incredibly lucky life. He left behind no children.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 19, 2016
c1937: Banned in South Africa at the time of its original publication. It was one of the first novels that I read about the Great Trek and I never really tired of them. Always a great background for a novel. "Why should they like you? … Are you not worse than Zulus who come like a storm, destroy, and then go perhaps never to come again? Whereas you come and take their best grazing, kill the game on which they live, and expect them to love you… it is in my mind that they think they are a people who have been dispossessed, and they are angry. You can see their anger in their eyes’’
November 19, 2014
Depressing as hell! But very interesting characters, and while I could have done without the detailed descriptions of blood/wounds/disease/infestations/etc, the scenery and characters absolutely jumped off the page into the room. A very tragic story, and I thought it was excellently written. I've never read a book about that period of history, and certainly not from the perspective of pioneers. Character development, plot development, symbolism, descriptions, everything was excellent-it was just a bit too harsh and depressing for me to enjoy it more.
March 22, 2015
It took me a bit to get used to Mr. Cleote's writing style, but once I did the story came alive. And a great story it is, of the Great Trek of the south African Boers (which included some of Cleote's ancestors). There are a mix of characters. Some, like Sannie and Louisa, I had little sympathy. Others truly seemed real, especially Anna de Jong and Rinkals the witch doctor. The landscape also becomes as important to the story as the characters, and Cleote describes it well. Well worth reading to understand more of South African history.
February 25, 2011
A novel about the Great Trek of 1836. The Boers move north into the hostility of the Kaffir Wars to found the Free State and Transvaal. Not a modern novel by any accounts but a great read and a depth of knowledge about the panoramas of the land and people living during the time. The author builds great characters that give a solid reflection of the time.
December 1, 2011
Fascinating read considering the book was first published in the 1930's. Anhyone interested in historical fiction this is a facinating insight into the minds of the "Voortrekkers" and their struggles.
September 7, 2025
Depressing as hell! But very interesting characters, and while I could have done without the detailed descriptions of blood/wounds/disease/infestations/etc, the scenery and characters absolutely jumped off the page into the room. A very tragic story, and I thought it was excellently written. I’ve never read a book about that period of history, and certainly not from the perspective of pioneers. Character development, plot development, symbolism, descriptions, everything was excellent-it was just a bit too harsh and depressing for me to enjoy it more.
September 14, 2024
The story of the white man’s trek across Africa in order to take the land of the natives for their own. I wasn’t a fan of the story, the writing, or the depiction. 2 stars.
November 27, 2024
Great story full of twists perhaps a bit dated for some people but throughly enjoyed it!
April 10, 2025
Grandma's book - In my library
June 10, 2016
The dialogue between certain characters and/or the portions when certain characters (Tante Anna and Rinkals) spoke were 100% enjoyment! I thoroughly enjoyed those parts of this novel. I loved how authentic and real the descriptions were. However, certain characters were unbelievable. I disliked Sannie greatly. I was not rooting for nor did I respect Zwart Piete. So, overall, the book was not 4 stars, but the portions I loved were 5 stars. I would probably read it again simply enjoy again the parts that are fantastic.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews