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The State vs Anna Brewer
What happened to Anna the moment after she pulled the trigger? After she looked her stepfather in the eye, and shot him, the man who sexually abused her and her sister for so many years?
Seven years after It’s Me, Anna, a publication sensation at the time of its release, the author revisits the story of Anna Bruwer. How does one seek forgiveness for murder? Or is retribution the only way to bring about justice? These are the questions Anna – and the writer – wrestle with.
This is an excruciatingly honest depiction of Anna’s life after her stepfather’s death: a novel filled with compassion, and ultimately hope.
Seven years after It’s Me, Anna, a publication sensation at the time of its release, the author revisits the story of Anna Bruwer. How does one seek forgiveness for murder? Or is retribution the only way to bring about justice? These are the questions Anna – and the writer – wrestle with.
This is an excruciatingly honest depiction of Anna’s life after her stepfather’s death: a novel filled with compassion, and ultimately hope.
- GenresFictionContemporary
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2012
21 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 27, 2017
Enjoyed it thoroughly. Well written, she moves quickly through the scenes, which adds to the suspense of the novel.
June 14, 2013
Die staat teen Anna Bruwer is 'n goeie boek as jy hom glad nie vergelyk met Dis ek Anna nie.
Persoonlik het ek nie so 'n konneksie met Anna gevoel in die boek nie, in Dis ek Anna is jy bladsy vir bladsy saam met haar deur die dinge wat met haar gebeur, maar in die boek is dit . . .'n storie. Dit kan wees omdat die eerste boek gebaseer is op ware gebeure en die tweede boek net 'n opgemaakste storie is.
Annie kom aangesig tot aangesig nie net met die staat nie maar ook met haarself, haar verlede,hede en toekoms. Ek het gehou van hoe dit in die boek uitkom dat ons gedrag tog mense affekteer, al ontmoet hulle ons net een of twee keer. Anna het die Spreuder se lewe verewig verander wat veroorsaak het dat hy 'n keuse maak oor iemand anders se reg om te lewe.
Anchien Troksie het goed te werk gegaan om detail in Anna se persoonlikheid uit te lig, die manier hoe sy mense toelaat om dinge van haar te dink wat nie helemal korrek is nie, maar sy laat dit toe want sy weet as sy hulle regstel dan sal sy haarself moet verduidelik wat sy nie wil nie.
Goeie boek maar nie 'n moet om te lees as jy die eerste een gelees het nie.
June 7, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this follow up. So very real. If you haven't read the first book rather read it before you attempt this one.
August 12, 2019
Great book, but prefer the first book- Dis Ek Anna
January 1, 2024
Trigger warning: descriptions of sexual and physical abuse, gruesome crime scene descriptions, traumatic flashbacks, suicide
Sjoe, this book is a lot... Once again I was pulled into the life of Anna Bruwer, feeling every moment of anger, pain, clarity, betrayal and defiant determination. I don't know if you can call this a survival story - comparing Anna's demon of a stepfather to a challenge or episode that she survived and overcame sort of minimises the mental and emotional battles she still has to fight within herself. What I can say is that Anna's story has moments of hope, moments of light, that show that she is not a lost cause - she is a victim, a perpetrator, a daughter, a protector, a criminal and a human being - a person working through something that no human being should ever have to experience in the first place. Troskie does a good job of capturing Anna's feelings of betrayal at having been abandoned by her own mother, and of her humiliation at having to explain herself, to tell her horrific story, again and again, not just to a judge but in front of judgemental story-hungry onlookers. This is its own type of violence. She also realistically captures Anna's conflict within herself - the painstaking process of realising that her body is still her own, that her space is her own and that she is worthy of love. Troskie also made a good choice of telling the story from more than one perspective. The cop who questions her, Windhond, is vehemently disapproving of Anna's means of doling out justice at first. But, as he comes across another rape case, that of a 6-month-old baby, during Anna's court proceedings, he comes to reconsider what justice should look like and whether the law is ever really up to handing it out. I really liked Anna's lawyer, Jourbert, who helps her find the right ways to deal with her anger, and her adoptive family, Oom Retief, Marnus and Tannie Miriam, who are by her side every step of the way, judgement-free. The ending didn't tie everything in a neat bow, which is good. I'd like to think that Anna finds some closure within herself. I didn't expect that sentence but I did expect the final verdict. I liked that twist. All in all, it was a well-written novel that sensitively handled a terribly relevant topic in South Africa. I would recommend that you read the first novel, though, so you get the full scope of what Anna had to go through.
Sjoe, this book is a lot... Once again I was pulled into the life of Anna Bruwer, feeling every moment of anger, pain, clarity, betrayal and defiant determination. I don't know if you can call this a survival story - comparing Anna's demon of a stepfather to a challenge or episode that she survived and overcame sort of minimises the mental and emotional battles she still has to fight within herself. What I can say is that Anna's story has moments of hope, moments of light, that show that she is not a lost cause - she is a victim, a perpetrator, a daughter, a protector, a criminal and a human being - a person working through something that no human being should ever have to experience in the first place. Troskie does a good job of capturing Anna's feelings of betrayal at having been abandoned by her own mother, and of her humiliation at having to explain herself, to tell her horrific story, again and again, not just to a judge but in front of judgemental story-hungry onlookers. This is its own type of violence. She also realistically captures Anna's conflict within herself - the painstaking process of realising that her body is still her own, that her space is her own and that she is worthy of love. Troskie also made a good choice of telling the story from more than one perspective. The cop who questions her, Windhond, is vehemently disapproving of Anna's means of doling out justice at first. But, as he comes across another rape case, that of a 6-month-old baby, during Anna's court proceedings, he comes to reconsider what justice should look like and whether the law is ever really up to handing it out. I really liked Anna's lawyer, Jourbert, who helps her find the right ways to deal with her anger, and her adoptive family, Oom Retief, Marnus and Tannie Miriam, who are by her side every step of the way, judgement-free. The ending didn't tie everything in a neat bow, which is good. I'd like to think that Anna finds some closure within herself. I didn't expect that sentence but I did expect the final verdict. I liked that twist. All in all, it was a well-written novel that sensitively handled a terribly relevant topic in South Africa. I would recommend that you read the first novel, though, so you get the full scope of what Anna had to go through.
September 24, 2017
“Die staat teen Anna Bruwer” kan nie vergelyk word met “Dis ek, Anna” nie. Alhoewel hierdie boek fiksie is, en nie wat werklik gebeur het met Anna nie, het dit steeds dieselfde belangstelling behou as wat “Dis ek, Anna” het.
“Die staat teen Anna Bruwer” is ń boek wat ons op ń emosionele reis neem. Tydens die leesproses, het ek baie verskillende emosies ervaar (soos haat, woede, hartseer, gelukkigheid en liefde).
Die verhaal van Anna wat haarself aan die polisie oorgee, nadat sy haar stiefpa, Danie du Toit, skiet by sy huis in Bloemfontein, is die perfekte opvolg van die eerste boek!
“Die staat teen Anna Bruwer” is ń boek wat ons op ń emosionele reis neem. Tydens die leesproses, het ek baie verskillende emosies ervaar (soos haat, woede, hartseer, gelukkigheid en liefde).
Die verhaal van Anna wat haarself aan die polisie oorgee, nadat sy haar stiefpa, Danie du Toit, skiet by sy huis in Bloemfontein, is die perfekte opvolg van die eerste boek!
October 10, 2018
Definitely not as good as the first book, it was too unrealistic, the sentencing and the overall storyline was very dull.
December 11, 2018
Ek kon nie ophou dink oor hierdie boek toe hy klaar is nie. Briljant!!!
March 9, 2019
The book is sad and makes you think twice.An accurate account of what a child of sexual abuse thinks and how that child would carry on as an adult.
October 24, 2019
Loved reading Dis ek Anna
March 10, 2013
This was a very heart hitting novel and it is definitely not for the faint hearted. I have learnt a lot from this novel especially from Anna Bruwer. It made me realise that there is a lot of corruption in our country and that no matter where you go it will always be around the corner. This is a novel that South Africans can relate to even if they haven’t gone through the same pain that Anna Bruwer has. This is a very traumatising novel to read especially for someone my age but it has helped me understand the situations that people go through every single day of their lives. This book stimulates every emotion in your body from Happiness to sheer horror. I would recommend this to only people over the age of 16 and those who don’t cry easily.
June 10, 2021
Vir baie kinders is dit hul realiteit. Niemand verdien dit of vra daarvoor. Hulle hele lewe is verwoes dikwels deur mense wat jou moet beskerm en niemand glo jou nie. Die polisieman het eers na die insident besef die lewe is nie swart of wit. In die middel lê 'n grys area. As jy nie die lewe (insident) in die persoon se skoene geloop het nie kan mens nie raadgee, oordeel nie. Een ding het ek weer besef doen iets aan iemand anders en die blinde sambok sal jou hard foeter.
September 17, 2012
Even though I did enjoy this book - and due to the fact that it is written in Afrikaans I managed to finish it in just one afternoon! - I felt that it definitely did not portray as much heart and/or emotions as the first novel (Dis ek, Anna). Probably due to the fact that the first novel's roots are more firmly based on actual events...?
September 11, 2024
I enjoyed the story so much. Still not impressed with the writing style though. But I love the fact that she knows what she did and she accepts responsibility for it, because she believes it was the right thing to do. It takes guts to do what she did, honestly, because sometimes the law just doesn't help us when we need it to.
December 13, 2012
Hats of to Anna! May all the women be as courageous as Anna and may God protect our children from such harmful people.
Easy to read and understand...
Dis kort en kragtig! Goed geskryf!
Easy to read and understand...
Dis kort en kragtig! Goed geskryf!
March 10, 2013
Written quite directly - almost a report on the proceedings after the murder and almost in Court terms the process thereafter - functionally it worked well. Well written, researched and executed.
March 24, 2015
This one I read on our way the Kruger National Park and I worked myself up half way and had to meditate to get back to my calm self. a must read!
Want to read
July 6, 2015very good book
October 10, 2015
Eye opener
September 5, 2015
Dit is n moet lees mense baie goeie boek hartverskeurend!.
Read
September 25, 2018This is the second time I've read this book. It is a haunting story about sexual molestation, murder, and the desperation of a young woman.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews