Home Remedies

by Diane Awerbuck

Joanna Renfield’s life at The Fish Hoek Valley Museum of Natural History gets complicated when DNA testing links the museum’s only claim to fame – a twelve thousand-year-old skeleton nicknamed Fish Hoek Man – with Saartjie Baartman. The media goes wild, the museum has a makeover, and Joanna gets a new Struggle veteran boss. She is here to teach Joanna a lesson – only it’s not the one either expects.
Violence and tragedy lurk in this seaside town, and when Joanna’s world is shaken to its core, it is up to her to find her own brand of muti.
But how much of history is chance? And when does revenge become insanity?

Genres: Fiction

239 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2012

About the author

Diane Awerbuck is a South African novelist. Her novel, Gardening at Night, won the 2004 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, best first book (Africa and the Caribbean), and was shortlisted for the International Dublin IMPAC Award. In 2011 her collection of short stories, Cabin Fever, was published by Random House Struik.

She taught at Rustenburg Girls' High School until 2002. Her non-fiction has appeared in the Mail & Guardian.

Her reviews, essays and short stories are published regularly. Her doctorate and a new novel are due to be published in 2012.

Reviews

[Margaret Crampton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment a muddle of themes and ideas that did not come together for me as a whole. The author chose unrelated topical issues: such as the Saartjie Baartman repatriation, breakdown of a marriage, death of a child, professional dissatisfaction, violence against women and mundanity of raising a small child. It is well written and the imagery is good but the story line is confused.

[Lisa van Zyl-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not badly written, but absolutely unpleasant, horrifying subject matter. Didn't enjoy this at all. The 3rd star is only because it's local and well done, but so horrible.

[Tiah]

I've been waiting for this book for ages, and it was well worth it. A worthy read. This book is difficult to put into words, so I give you the link to a review: http://www.litnet.co.za/Article/home-...

[Alison Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the local colour and the Fish Hoek setting. The novel is very new South Africa, and takes an unexpected black, dramatic turn four fifths of the way through the story. An easy read, that packs a nasty, surprise punch.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is fun, it is sharp, it is intelligent and it has an underlying thread that is part of the building pf the New South Africa. Great, rather easy read, and at least it makes you think and not in the usual defensive, apologist or aggro lines

[Carly]

There is much I could say about this novel, but it is probably best if I don't.