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African Ways
This is the story of a young woman’s first encounters with rural South Africa. Coming from the all-mod-cons society of Britain at the beginning of the 1980’s, the author is literally transplanted to a farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains in what is now Kwazulu Natal.
Once there, she finds her feet in the ways of Africa
with the help of a charming, elderly Dutch couple,
an appealing but wily African farm hand, his practical and motherly daughter and a wise and fascinating neighbour who has a fund of local knowledge.
These are tales of a different kind of life, which
include living without electricity, hand-milking cows, drought, veld fires and mad-cap adventures into the unknown.
They are stories told with deep affection and respect, and above all a liberal dose of tongue-in-cheek humour.
Once there, she finds her feet in the ways of Africa
with the help of a charming, elderly Dutch couple,
an appealing but wily African farm hand, his practical and motherly daughter and a wise and fascinating neighbour who has a fund of local knowledge.
These are tales of a different kind of life, which
include living without electricity, hand-milking cows, drought, veld fires and mad-cap adventures into the unknown.
They are stories told with deep affection and respect, and above all a liberal dose of tongue-in-cheek humour.
- GenresMemoirAfricaNonfiction
190 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2007
100 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
December 9, 2014
... I almost turned to the front and started reading it all over again once I'd finished it!
About Val Poore's three years of living on a remote moutain in Natal in the early 1980s, this book made me laugh out loud several times (the tennis club!) and provoked tears nearer the end. I've said in reviews of Ms Poore's books about her life on the waterways that she can make buying a bit of bathroom equipment interesting; here, she writes a brief chapter about the lighting of oil lamps and and it made my eyes water.
The message this book gave to me is that, cliche though it is, it is the simple things in life that make you happy, the people and relationships that matter, and that sometimes by trying to make an almost perfect life even better you can actually spoil what you have (been there, done that). It's obvious to me that this was one of the most, treasured periods of the author's life (if not THE most), and the emotion and love that pours into the book made me nostalgic for a place and time I've never experienced, too.
Included are fascinating insights into an unknown world ~ the ever present danger of 'veld' fires and how to cope with them, a world without electricity, a relaxed and self-sufficient way of life, weather casting via a mountain, a mixture of cultures and races so successful that it didn't need any self-consciously PC multi-cultural initiatives. Loved it - now I just want to see all the pictures, particularly of the little guide at Port St John called Sobriety!
If you have any interest at all in travel, Africa or a more simple way of life, please read this - worth every pen
About Val Poore's three years of living on a remote moutain in Natal in the early 1980s, this book made me laugh out loud several times (the tennis club!) and provoked tears nearer the end. I've said in reviews of Ms Poore's books about her life on the waterways that she can make buying a bit of bathroom equipment interesting; here, she writes a brief chapter about the lighting of oil lamps and and it made my eyes water.
The message this book gave to me is that, cliche though it is, it is the simple things in life that make you happy, the people and relationships that matter, and that sometimes by trying to make an almost perfect life even better you can actually spoil what you have (been there, done that). It's obvious to me that this was one of the most, treasured periods of the author's life (if not THE most), and the emotion and love that pours into the book made me nostalgic for a place and time I've never experienced, too.
Included are fascinating insights into an unknown world ~ the ever present danger of 'veld' fires and how to cope with them, a world without electricity, a relaxed and self-sufficient way of life, weather casting via a mountain, a mixture of cultures and races so successful that it didn't need any self-consciously PC multi-cultural initiatives. Loved it - now I just want to see all the pictures, particularly of the little guide at Port St John called Sobriety!
If you have any interest at all in travel, Africa or a more simple way of life, please read this - worth every pen
July 17, 2019
Val Poore, her husband and two young children arrive in South Africa in 1981 for a fresh start in warmer climes.
Answering a small ad in a newspaper, fate leads them to cottage on Cottingham Farm, in Kwazulu Natal. Thus the family move into a charming new home, amidst kindly neighbours and a host of wonderful Zulu characters - Kweswa, Bongi, May, Jacob...
The house has no electricity, but enjoys the benefits of oil lamps that reminded me of my own childhood holidays in rural Ireland.
I loved learning more about rural Africa, and the joys of a more mindful life without television and technology, where water is used sparingly and without waste.
There a lots of heartwarming stories including a six hour journey by car to Port St Johns on The Wild Coast of Transkei, where the family meet a Xhosa boy called Sobriety.
The author recounts the stunning views of The Dragensberg Mountains from Cottingham Farm saying "I knew that I would never live anywhere as awe inspiringly beautiful as this ever again..."
Answering a small ad in a newspaper, fate leads them to cottage on Cottingham Farm, in Kwazulu Natal. Thus the family move into a charming new home, amidst kindly neighbours and a host of wonderful Zulu characters - Kweswa, Bongi, May, Jacob...
The house has no electricity, but enjoys the benefits of oil lamps that reminded me of my own childhood holidays in rural Ireland.
I loved learning more about rural Africa, and the joys of a more mindful life without television and technology, where water is used sparingly and without waste.
There a lots of heartwarming stories including a six hour journey by car to Port St Johns on The Wild Coast of Transkei, where the family meet a Xhosa boy called Sobriety.
The author recounts the stunning views of The Dragensberg Mountains from Cottingham Farm saying "I knew that I would never live anywhere as awe inspiringly beautiful as this ever again..."
October 6, 2022
African Ways is a charming story about a British woman’s 3-year stay in a remote area in South Africa. In search of the sun, the author moved there with her husband and two small children. But the sun was really in the author’s heart. With affection and respect, she quickly connected with the small, tight-knit local community. She greeted every challenge with pleasure, including the process of lighting an oil lamp since there was no electricity. Through her loving descriptions, I got to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of that part of Africa.
June 8, 2024
Being married to an Ex South African and having visited and travelled South Africa extensively I was interested to hear what another foreigner’s take on life in this Rainbow nation was, and I was thoroughly entertained. I loved Val’s style of writing and she vividly described the South Africa I know. Her insights confirmed some of Rory’s stories which I had found too bizarre to be true, like the enormous electrical charge in the atmosphere and the traditions of the old colonials, whilst others brought a whole new perspective to light. I thoroughly recommend this memoir and am looking forward to reading more of Val’s books.
May 14, 2016
African Ways is a story of the authors time living in South Africa in the 1980's. She moves there with her husband and two daughters and they find themselves living on a farm. The story is filled with the stories of their time there, the people they meet along the way and life in a place without the luxuries that the family are used to. The stories tell of their day to day life, living in a rural community. The book has an easy reading style and is an enjoyable read. I felt more dialogue may have enhanced the stories, however that said the stories were still engaging and interesting.
August 22, 2017
How I enjoyed this wonderful memoir. The author Valerie Poore together with her husband and two small children took a leap of faith and immigrated to South Africa. He had no job and they had nowhere to stay. Yet fortune seemed to be smiling on them as he got a job and Valerie secured them a flat in a rural area of KwaZulu Natal. It was like a step back in time as there were no ‘mod cons’ such as electricity. However they were more than ever convinced that they had arrived in heaven and it was all meant to be. Valerie’s love of the country and of the people on Cottingham Farm shines from every page. She takes great pleasure in the simple things of life that actually mean so much more than possessions. Through her vivid descriptions I could see the beauty of Africa and smell the warm terracotta earth. There are pages that will make you laugh – having to milk cows!! There are parts that will make you appreciate what you have. Since reading this I am now so aware of how much water I use and probably not grateful enough for how precious it is. They suffered a drought and every drop of water was valued especially when it had to be rationed. It also made me think very differently about South Africa. I’m not surprised that she has such an abiding love of the country and its people.
March 15, 2021
Being contrary, I’ve read most of Val Poore’s warm and lovely books in reverse order. I was so looking forward to getting to this one, her first chronicling her time on a farm in Kwazulu Natal in the 1980s, and I enjoyed it so much.
‘African Ways’ is a truly lovely book of what must have been a very special time. When Val and family moved to South Africa, they had little money but were lucky enough to find a cottage to rent on a farm: a farm on top of a mountain with no electricity and no amenities nearby. Far from being a hardship, Val learnt to love the oil lamps, the scenery and their Hollander landlords. Her two daughters grew up surrounded by African bush, learnt the Zulu language and mingled with local people. I was rather envious of their life.
Val says that even some 40 years later she remembers that period as one she would never see the like of again. Her love of the area and its people shines through the stories in this book, all of which are written with Val’s usual warmth and charm. I wanted to share lemonade on the veranda and watch an African night come with its suddenness, to experience an African storm and to taste an African braai.
A beautiful and lovingly written book to add to my Val Poore collection.
‘African Ways’ is a truly lovely book of what must have been a very special time. When Val and family moved to South Africa, they had little money but were lucky enough to find a cottage to rent on a farm: a farm on top of a mountain with no electricity and no amenities nearby. Far from being a hardship, Val learnt to love the oil lamps, the scenery and their Hollander landlords. Her two daughters grew up surrounded by African bush, learnt the Zulu language and mingled with local people. I was rather envious of their life.
Val says that even some 40 years later she remembers that period as one she would never see the like of again. Her love of the area and its people shines through the stories in this book, all of which are written with Val’s usual warmth and charm. I wanted to share lemonade on the veranda and watch an African night come with its suddenness, to experience an African storm and to taste an African braai.
A beautiful and lovingly written book to add to my Val Poore collection.
June 5, 2020
Val Poore’s “African Ways” is grounded in a deep love of South Africa and of the people she knew when she lived on a farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. Her book was perfect reading during the Great Lockdown because it transported me to another world, to a world that has gone. Back in the early 1980s the author lived with her young family on a remote farm in Natal. It had no electricity and the cows had to be milked by hand. But she describes her life with such affection, with such depth and texture that I wished I had been there too. She knows how to linger on the right detail so that you’re right there with her. At twilight every day she gathered all the oil lamps from the various rooms and arranged them in a row, before lighting them with long matches. “I loved the sharp, acrid smell of the flaring matches, and strangely, I even enjoyed the slightly cloying fumes of the paraffin we used. It was part of everything I thought of as home.” Today the farm no longer exists. It has disappeared, she says, under a vast tract of forestry land. But the book never slides into becoming a lament. It is a celebration of place, of people and of life deeply lived.
March 10, 2017
A lovely warm read.
Valerie Poore is probably best known for her boating memoirs-I know a few people who have read these and loved them; I have yet to read these as I do like to read in order and this book is actually Valerie Poore’s first book. Rather than life on the water, this one consists of anecdotes and memories of the three years she and her husband and their two small daughters spent in South Africa in the 80s. They switched life in England to renting a remote farmhouse in Natal and experienced a totally different way of life there: eg. The postal service, the Telephone service-party lines, lack of water, lack of electricity etc.
This has an anecdotal style, not necessarily in chronological order, so you can keep picking it up along with other reads and you don't need to remember things from before.
It’s a nice gentle, very warm read. I found it very interesting and it prompted quite a few smiles for me. She tells of happy times there (she said she'd never been happier). Very enjoyable, now I can’t wait to move onto more of this author’s books.
Valerie Poore is probably best known for her boating memoirs-I know a few people who have read these and loved them; I have yet to read these as I do like to read in order and this book is actually Valerie Poore’s first book. Rather than life on the water, this one consists of anecdotes and memories of the three years she and her husband and their two small daughters spent in South Africa in the 80s. They switched life in England to renting a remote farmhouse in Natal and experienced a totally different way of life there: eg. The postal service, the Telephone service-party lines, lack of water, lack of electricity etc.
This has an anecdotal style, not necessarily in chronological order, so you can keep picking it up along with other reads and you don't need to remember things from before.
It’s a nice gentle, very warm read. I found it very interesting and it prompted quite a few smiles for me. She tells of happy times there (she said she'd never been happier). Very enjoyable, now I can’t wait to move onto more of this author’s books.
July 27, 2013
I had the pleasure of reading this book on Val's blog, one installment at a time. She writes with warmth and gentle humour, and captures a time and place with visual richness and great charm. For anyone who loves Africa, or who loves a good story with a wonderful cast of characters!
June 6, 2018
Delightful memoir of a woman and her family living in South Africa (Natal) in the 1980's. Enjoyed reading of their life without modern conveniences.
June 18, 2025
When a young Val Poore and her husband Bill in 1981, living a comfortable modern life in the UK, realized they wanted to find a more meaningful life in a warmer climate, they were serious… and willing to take the risk. Most of us have pondered those kinds of thoughts and quickly chalked them up to fanciful wishes. Not so with Val and Bill. With two-year-old and 3-month-old daughters, minimum luggage, limited funds, no jobs, no established friends or family, and no place planned to stay, they threw caution to the wind and landed in Natal, South Africa. For most of us this would be insanity. But Val and Bill, who were young, determined dreamers up for a new adventure, they believed the risk being worth the reward.
The stark differences between cultures were apparent the moment they stepped off the train. A small ad in a local paper offering a two-bedroom rental on a rural farm was offered to them, by Dutch owners who were leaving for six months, sight unseen. After seeing the farm nestled on top of a foothill with a panoramic view of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Swiss chalet type rental connected to the main house, they felt like they were in Utopia. When they moved in, they realized the conveniences of their previous modern life had changed to centuries-old functions without electricity or city water. With the help from a knowledgeable neighbor and the supportive family of Kheswa who all worked on the farm, the young family embraced and flourished in their new home and the more simplistic life.
These memoirs were written with passion, authenticity, deep respect, and love. The vivid descriptions stimulated all my senses…smelling the “…hypnotic, spicy aroma that catches your breath.” Tasting the grilled lamb freshly sliced from the carcass over an open flame during a community celebration. Hearing the distant thunder boom outside the window, then crackle and pop as it buzzed through the house, terrifying the family. There are many adventures and hazards such as wildfires, droughts, wild animals, dust storms, and so much more, but this never altered their deep affection for Africa, its stunning beauty, and its people. Although this was a tumultuous time during apartheid, Val terms her family as “social castaways” living in an isolated location where they could enjoy relationships with whomever they wished.
I highly recommend you take this amazing adventure and discover the wonders of Africa and its people through the eyes of a young family who opened their hearts to this new home.
The stark differences between cultures were apparent the moment they stepped off the train. A small ad in a local paper offering a two-bedroom rental on a rural farm was offered to them, by Dutch owners who were leaving for six months, sight unseen. After seeing the farm nestled on top of a foothill with a panoramic view of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Swiss chalet type rental connected to the main house, they felt like they were in Utopia. When they moved in, they realized the conveniences of their previous modern life had changed to centuries-old functions without electricity or city water. With the help from a knowledgeable neighbor and the supportive family of Kheswa who all worked on the farm, the young family embraced and flourished in their new home and the more simplistic life.
These memoirs were written with passion, authenticity, deep respect, and love. The vivid descriptions stimulated all my senses…smelling the “…hypnotic, spicy aroma that catches your breath.” Tasting the grilled lamb freshly sliced from the carcass over an open flame during a community celebration. Hearing the distant thunder boom outside the window, then crackle and pop as it buzzed through the house, terrifying the family. There are many adventures and hazards such as wildfires, droughts, wild animals, dust storms, and so much more, but this never altered their deep affection for Africa, its stunning beauty, and its people. Although this was a tumultuous time during apartheid, Val terms her family as “social castaways” living in an isolated location where they could enjoy relationships with whomever they wished.
I highly recommend you take this amazing adventure and discover the wonders of Africa and its people through the eyes of a young family who opened their hearts to this new home.
July 9, 2025
This is the fourth book I’ve read by this talented author and I loved them all. As with two of those books – which describe more recent excursions along European canals on her beloved Dutch barge, Vereeniging – African Ways is a memoir, the first in a series of three. It focuses on what Val calls ‘her precious memories’ of living on a hillside farm in South Africa (now KwaZulu Natal) between 1981 and 1991. And what great anecdotes she tells!
Life certainly wasn’t easy for Val and her husband, especially with two very young children, but the way they settle there and cope is admirable. Her descriptions and attention to detail are superb and, at times, I truly felt I was there, watching events unfold. I could feel the oppressive heat during summer, with the hardships and restrictions during the droughts, and savour the fabulous views across the snowcapped Drakensberg Mountains in winter. I read in awe as she told of hailstones the size of golf balls bombarding her car as she was driving home. I laughed at her descriptions of events during the braais (barbeques), especially on the day they decided to spit-roast a whole lamb, and at her efforts to hand milk a cow soon after her arrival at the farm.
I loved the way the family soon felt at home on their mountainside farm, despite the hardships. Having no electricity on a permanent basis was a major obstacle to overcome, and getting used to topping up the oil lamps for indoor lighting and relying on a wood fire to keep the cold at bay during winter. Although at first it seemed odd, the family soon accepted that the winter and summer months of the northern hemisphere were reversed in the southern hemisphere. Celebrating Christmas in the heat of summer while singing carols and seeing images of snowmen and snow-covered lanes took some getting used to – as did the likelihood of coming across a large, highly venomous puff adder sunning itself in the middle of a dirt road.
Perhaps the biggest influence on the family’s life in Natal were the people: their kindness and care for others, and their willingness to both work and party hard. Val’s memories of her time on ‘their mountain’ largely revolved around these wonderful people who had taken her family into their midst and into their hearts. It was they who made her memories so fond and so vivid.
I recommend African Ways to anyone who loves memoirs, especially one told with such detail, love and humour. It drew me in and refused to let go until I got to the very last page.
Life certainly wasn’t easy for Val and her husband, especially with two very young children, but the way they settle there and cope is admirable. Her descriptions and attention to detail are superb and, at times, I truly felt I was there, watching events unfold. I could feel the oppressive heat during summer, with the hardships and restrictions during the droughts, and savour the fabulous views across the snowcapped Drakensberg Mountains in winter. I read in awe as she told of hailstones the size of golf balls bombarding her car as she was driving home. I laughed at her descriptions of events during the braais (barbeques), especially on the day they decided to spit-roast a whole lamb, and at her efforts to hand milk a cow soon after her arrival at the farm.
I loved the way the family soon felt at home on their mountainside farm, despite the hardships. Having no electricity on a permanent basis was a major obstacle to overcome, and getting used to topping up the oil lamps for indoor lighting and relying on a wood fire to keep the cold at bay during winter. Although at first it seemed odd, the family soon accepted that the winter and summer months of the northern hemisphere were reversed in the southern hemisphere. Celebrating Christmas in the heat of summer while singing carols and seeing images of snowmen and snow-covered lanes took some getting used to – as did the likelihood of coming across a large, highly venomous puff adder sunning itself in the middle of a dirt road.
Perhaps the biggest influence on the family’s life in Natal were the people: their kindness and care for others, and their willingness to both work and party hard. Val’s memories of her time on ‘their mountain’ largely revolved around these wonderful people who had taken her family into their midst and into their hearts. It was they who made her memories so fond and so vivid.
I recommend African Ways to anyone who loves memoirs, especially one told with such detail, love and humour. It drew me in and refused to let go until I got to the very last page.
May 14, 2017
Val Poore (known to me through social media and one of her other works) is a welcome voice in the writers' world! 'African Ways' is the second book of Val's I've read, and as I comment in my review of 'Watery Ways' (life on a boat in Rotterdam, Netherlands) the author's personality shines through so pleasantly regardless of circumstances; in this life adventure, in Natal, South Africa, there are plenty of harrowing moments! Val is a wonderful memoirist and offers many vicarious adventures to her readers.
She is reassuring, informative, intelligent, amusing, practical, and overall entertaining. She has a definite talent for crafting her words, and is beautifully visual in her explanations and descriptions. Reflecting ( life in South Africa in the 80s ) on a memorable side trip from her home in Cottingham, with partner and little girls, Val expresses such beauty:
"Into the former fell a drive to the Sani Pass, Drakensberg mountain border post with the Kingdom of Lesotho. Making our way up the twisting, rocky dirt road to the summit of the pass, and to then stand at such a remote border post with another country in the sharp clarity of the winter sunshine, was in itself so special that I'm sure I can still smell the arid air and feel the keenness of the wind even today. Add to this the pleasure of watching two small children splashing through mountain streams, oblivious of the icy temperature, and seeing the sun set behind a snow-tipped peak, and you have a set of marvellous recollections to carry with you through a life-time."
Her writing is relaxing and comforting, and as she takes you to another place, you know you are in good hands. At times, I feel this is a 'guilty pleasure' to stop and read without rush.
Not to spoil with specifics here, but the way Val deliberates with skillful detail over anecdotes leaves the reader fulfilled with each chapter. And such an 'art' in the telling: the leopard story; the fascinating weather changes; the language puzzles; spot on descriptions of place and characters. I felt I grew to know them well, the sense of place, and the people, including her cute kids. I feel as though I had a true experience. The words, sounds, scents came through and I was totally transported to a part of our world which I doubt I'll ever see in person. This book is such a gift! I was sad to see it come to its conclusion. Thank you Valerie Poore.
She is reassuring, informative, intelligent, amusing, practical, and overall entertaining. She has a definite talent for crafting her words, and is beautifully visual in her explanations and descriptions. Reflecting ( life in South Africa in the 80s ) on a memorable side trip from her home in Cottingham, with partner and little girls, Val expresses such beauty:
"Into the former fell a drive to the Sani Pass, Drakensberg mountain border post with the Kingdom of Lesotho. Making our way up the twisting, rocky dirt road to the summit of the pass, and to then stand at such a remote border post with another country in the sharp clarity of the winter sunshine, was in itself so special that I'm sure I can still smell the arid air and feel the keenness of the wind even today. Add to this the pleasure of watching two small children splashing through mountain streams, oblivious of the icy temperature, and seeing the sun set behind a snow-tipped peak, and you have a set of marvellous recollections to carry with you through a life-time."
Her writing is relaxing and comforting, and as she takes you to another place, you know you are in good hands. At times, I feel this is a 'guilty pleasure' to stop and read without rush.
Not to spoil with specifics here, but the way Val deliberates with skillful detail over anecdotes leaves the reader fulfilled with each chapter. And such an 'art' in the telling: the leopard story; the fascinating weather changes; the language puzzles; spot on descriptions of place and characters. I felt I grew to know them well, the sense of place, and the people, including her cute kids. I feel as though I had a true experience. The words, sounds, scents came through and I was totally transported to a part of our world which I doubt I'll ever see in person. This book is such a gift! I was sad to see it come to its conclusion. Thank you Valerie Poore.
April 23, 2025
AFRICAN WAYS BY VALERIE POORE
A Book Review by AZP
April 2025
‘...told vibrantly with effortless humor!’
An insightful, amusing, witty and heartwarming memoir written foremost from the lens of a young, English mother; a spouse; and a woman, equipped with curiosity and openness, lived and engaged with the ways of African culture and existence in a village, in the time of the 80’s.
The author ushers us from her first-hand experience upon her arrival, her challenging and marvelous, three-year stay and engagement and her continuing discovery and learning of the African landscape, culture and the village people’s eccentricities and vice-versa!
The anecdotes and tales are told vibrantly with effortless humor describing how she learnt doing things in simple and practical ways, a real turn-around from her previous metropolitan lifestyle and especially in the face of scarcity, hugely about the supply of water and the regularity of rain which is a glaring irony from her homeland’s weather and climate. Truly, in this context, scarcity breeds ingenuity!
I love the descriptive narratives of village life (aside from the author’s view) from the lens of foreign neighbors (like the author) and the outlook of local or indigenous people. They are insightful.
It touches on the wide variety of the village domestic and environmental concerns: their beliefs and tradition, about family, their health and hygienic practices, their ways of child-rearing; their socializing and engagement, the means of communication and technology; their livelihood (tending with animals and gardening) and their mode of doing it; and the concerns of safety and security both from the threats of wild animals and the human intrusions; and the threats of extreme weather conditions and calamities.
And how the author is being loved by the village people and how she had grown to love them in return (both the Dutch and the indigenous/local South Africans) and the place itself, this tiny village and had regarded them as her new-found family and home. I can feel the high tolerance, great respect, deep understanding and the subtlety of the necessary assimilation that is vice versa, to achieve a climate of a vibrant, lighthearted neighborhood and community.
A very entertaining, insightful read that is full of wonderful life wisdom!
A Book Review by AZP
April 2025
‘...told vibrantly with effortless humor!’
An insightful, amusing, witty and heartwarming memoir written foremost from the lens of a young, English mother; a spouse; and a woman, equipped with curiosity and openness, lived and engaged with the ways of African culture and existence in a village, in the time of the 80’s.
The author ushers us from her first-hand experience upon her arrival, her challenging and marvelous, three-year stay and engagement and her continuing discovery and learning of the African landscape, culture and the village people’s eccentricities and vice-versa!
The anecdotes and tales are told vibrantly with effortless humor describing how she learnt doing things in simple and practical ways, a real turn-around from her previous metropolitan lifestyle and especially in the face of scarcity, hugely about the supply of water and the regularity of rain which is a glaring irony from her homeland’s weather and climate. Truly, in this context, scarcity breeds ingenuity!
I love the descriptive narratives of village life (aside from the author’s view) from the lens of foreign neighbors (like the author) and the outlook of local or indigenous people. They are insightful.
It touches on the wide variety of the village domestic and environmental concerns: their beliefs and tradition, about family, their health and hygienic practices, their ways of child-rearing; their socializing and engagement, the means of communication and technology; their livelihood (tending with animals and gardening) and their mode of doing it; and the concerns of safety and security both from the threats of wild animals and the human intrusions; and the threats of extreme weather conditions and calamities.
And how the author is being loved by the village people and how she had grown to love them in return (both the Dutch and the indigenous/local South Africans) and the place itself, this tiny village and had regarded them as her new-found family and home. I can feel the high tolerance, great respect, deep understanding and the subtlety of the necessary assimilation that is vice versa, to achieve a climate of a vibrant, lighthearted neighborhood and community.
A very entertaining, insightful read that is full of wonderful life wisdom!
August 27, 2020
A Delightful Memoir
This is a moving story of a family moving to South Africa, Val, he husband Bill and 2 small children relocate in the early 80s, no preconceived idea of what life would be like just knowing they wanted to be somewhere that had a nice warm climate.
Their journey took them to Natal. Arriving with scant possessions, 2 small children, lots of enthusiasm and very little money they stayed in the Hotel Edward in Pietermaritzbutg and Bill started looking for available work. Bill managed to find employment with an automotive paint dealer and they started to look for their own accommodation. With no luck at various estate agents they scoured the local newspaper, seeing a very small ad ´Flat to Rent´they contact the owner.
There began their life living in a lovely cottage on a farm. The elderly Dutch couple who owned the property became surrogate Grandparents to Jodie (Jojo, 2years old) and Maryssa (Baby Mo, 3 months old). With no electricity, therefore no television, along very primitive water resources they make the most of life and are happy. No washing machine for the washing, this had to be undertaken by hand. The children growing up not knowing anything other than their way of life on the farm. They soon adapt to the African way of life and took everything in their stride, including Val miking the cows and the children had an idyllic and healthy lifestyle there, the kerosene lamps she lit each evening and simple pleasures gained in listening to the local radio.
They lived in a different climate and culture experiencing freedom and adventure. Lots of journeys to recount. I particularly loved the story of their six hour journey by car to Port St Johns on The Wild Coast of Transkei. Here they meet a Xhosa boy called Sobriety who showed them the best place to eat and then gave them a tour of his town.
I love Val´s descriptive style of writing, scripting warmth all through the pages. The reader is drawn into the story as if you are there with her and enjoying the experiences side by side. A delightful book to read, thank you Val for sharing your memories
This is a moving story of a family moving to South Africa, Val, he husband Bill and 2 small children relocate in the early 80s, no preconceived idea of what life would be like just knowing they wanted to be somewhere that had a nice warm climate.
Their journey took them to Natal. Arriving with scant possessions, 2 small children, lots of enthusiasm and very little money they stayed in the Hotel Edward in Pietermaritzbutg and Bill started looking for available work. Bill managed to find employment with an automotive paint dealer and they started to look for their own accommodation. With no luck at various estate agents they scoured the local newspaper, seeing a very small ad ´Flat to Rent´they contact the owner.
There began their life living in a lovely cottage on a farm. The elderly Dutch couple who owned the property became surrogate Grandparents to Jodie (Jojo, 2years old) and Maryssa (Baby Mo, 3 months old). With no electricity, therefore no television, along very primitive water resources they make the most of life and are happy. No washing machine for the washing, this had to be undertaken by hand. The children growing up not knowing anything other than their way of life on the farm. They soon adapt to the African way of life and took everything in their stride, including Val miking the cows and the children had an idyllic and healthy lifestyle there, the kerosene lamps she lit each evening and simple pleasures gained in listening to the local radio.
They lived in a different climate and culture experiencing freedom and adventure. Lots of journeys to recount. I particularly loved the story of their six hour journey by car to Port St Johns on The Wild Coast of Transkei. Here they meet a Xhosa boy called Sobriety who showed them the best place to eat and then gave them a tour of his town.
I love Val´s descriptive style of writing, scripting warmth all through the pages. The reader is drawn into the story as if you are there with her and enjoying the experiences side by side. A delightful book to read, thank you Val for sharing your memories
May 13, 2021
This pleasant to read memoir is a record of the author’s life during her sojourn in rural South Africa (Natal), together with her husband and two very young children.
The easy flowing, descriptive narrative enables the reader to fully employ their imagination and thereby visualise the settings in which this brave woman found herself. Indeed even for those who have never been to the continent it creates a sensual appreciation of what it must be like (supported by the images and photographs viewable through television, film, and in books).
The author’s humour, consideration, and understanding are evident throughout and truly make this an interesting, informative, and engaging read. Though the majority of the accounts deal with everyday experiences and circumstances, at no stage do they become tedious, boring, or irritating. In truth these have the effect of drawing the reader in to the extent of them feeling part of each event.
Though this is primarily intended to be a memoir of the families experiences it also provides an insight into the lives of the indigenous populace. Without ignoring the consistent hardships and deprivations encountered by the local people, the author shares interesting accounts of daily life, again with a light and humorous touch. These accounts effectively become biographies of those she engaged with, adding a further dimension to this enjoyable book. The author’s affection for the Natal people is ever evident as is her love for the land.
Anyone in the least bit interested in, or curious about, Africa will find this book a worthwhile, engaging, and informative read to which they may well return. The easy flow, light, humorous, style draws the reader in and truly makes this an enjoyable distraction from everyday life or a pleasant interval from tedious chores, though it really deserves to be read for its own right. There is much to enjoy and learn in and from it.
The easy flowing, descriptive narrative enables the reader to fully employ their imagination and thereby visualise the settings in which this brave woman found herself. Indeed even for those who have never been to the continent it creates a sensual appreciation of what it must be like (supported by the images and photographs viewable through television, film, and in books).
The author’s humour, consideration, and understanding are evident throughout and truly make this an interesting, informative, and engaging read. Though the majority of the accounts deal with everyday experiences and circumstances, at no stage do they become tedious, boring, or irritating. In truth these have the effect of drawing the reader in to the extent of them feeling part of each event.
Though this is primarily intended to be a memoir of the families experiences it also provides an insight into the lives of the indigenous populace. Without ignoring the consistent hardships and deprivations encountered by the local people, the author shares interesting accounts of daily life, again with a light and humorous touch. These accounts effectively become biographies of those she engaged with, adding a further dimension to this enjoyable book. The author’s affection for the Natal people is ever evident as is her love for the land.
Anyone in the least bit interested in, or curious about, Africa will find this book a worthwhile, engaging, and informative read to which they may well return. The easy flow, light, humorous, style draws the reader in and truly makes this an enjoyable distraction from everyday life or a pleasant interval from tedious chores, though it really deserves to be read for its own right. There is much to enjoy and learn in and from it.
August 3, 2023
I’ve never been to Africa but now I have, virtually.
Val Poore is a writer who takes you with her on her journey. In this case, it was to high in the Drakensberg Mountains of the KwaZulu-Natal area of Africa.
Her writing alternates between hilarity, beautiful descriptions, sentimentality, and sincerity. You feel what she feels, smell the scents, see what she sees, with everything painted in evocative words.
Her humour is quite dry, and I loved it. “In short, it was a stack-and-pack supermarket with practically everything you could possibly wish to buy except fresh fruit and vegetables; that is fruit and vegetables that really showed some semblance of having been harvested within our lifetime.”
The richness of her descriptions is powerful indeed. “Bougainvillea bushes spilled their flowers over garden walls and flame trees splashed colour with vermillion vibrancy along the roadside. The whole town was dazzling in its contrasts of greens, white and all the clashing reds of a sub-tropical paradise.”
Her writing is truly gorgeous. “On our mountain in Natal, the mists often came down to shroud us in a ghostly, silent world punctuated only by the dripping of leaves soaked in the saturated air. On these days, the earthy baked quality of the scent would be replaced by the sharper, keener tang of damp wattle needles and the drenched kikuyu grass...the fresh scents released...all seemed to compete for dominance in the air as if knowing that the return of the heat would find them subdued once more by Africa’s typical all enveloping musk.”
The author obviously loves Africa, especially its people. I relished every word she wrote. I was delighted to go there with her, albeit vicariously. What a truly delightful book to read. I hated putting it down, and much regretted it when it came to an end.
Val Poore is a writer who takes you with her on her journey. In this case, it was to high in the Drakensberg Mountains of the KwaZulu-Natal area of Africa.
Her writing alternates between hilarity, beautiful descriptions, sentimentality, and sincerity. You feel what she feels, smell the scents, see what she sees, with everything painted in evocative words.
Her humour is quite dry, and I loved it. “In short, it was a stack-and-pack supermarket with practically everything you could possibly wish to buy except fresh fruit and vegetables; that is fruit and vegetables that really showed some semblance of having been harvested within our lifetime.”
The richness of her descriptions is powerful indeed. “Bougainvillea bushes spilled their flowers over garden walls and flame trees splashed colour with vermillion vibrancy along the roadside. The whole town was dazzling in its contrasts of greens, white and all the clashing reds of a sub-tropical paradise.”
Her writing is truly gorgeous. “On our mountain in Natal, the mists often came down to shroud us in a ghostly, silent world punctuated only by the dripping of leaves soaked in the saturated air. On these days, the earthy baked quality of the scent would be replaced by the sharper, keener tang of damp wattle needles and the drenched kikuyu grass...the fresh scents released...all seemed to compete for dominance in the air as if knowing that the return of the heat would find them subdued once more by Africa’s typical all enveloping musk.”
The author obviously loves Africa, especially its people. I relished every word she wrote. I was delighted to go there with her, albeit vicariously. What a truly delightful book to read. I hated putting it down, and much regretted it when it came to an end.
October 29, 2020
AFRICAN WAYS is both entertaining and enlightening, giving the reader a true taste of what life was like in Natal, South Africa during the 1980s.
Val Poore’s first venture to the country, where she lived on a farm for three years, is a vivid account of what became for her an idyllic existence, encompassing her love of the people (mainly Zulu) with their warmth and strength of spirit in the face of great hardship – lack of electricity, severe water shortage and constant threat of bush fires, to name but a few.
I marvelled at the author’s courage. To have embarked on a venture of this kind with two small children in tow, leaving behind the everyday comforts we all take for granted in exchange for a primitive way of life, takes a special kind of person. Even more impressive is the way she adjusted to it all and, in doing so, developed a deep affection for the country and great respect for its people.
The characters who formed part of her daily life in and around the farm are well painted; the wiles of one particular farmhand giving rise to some amusing situations. Given that she learnt the hard way, these are told with good humour, the absence of any malice a testament to the author’s tolerance and depth of understanding.
What crowned this colourful story for me was the concluding chapter. Here we have an exposition of her innermost feelings that clearly demonstrates the impact the place has had on her life. Her evocative descriptions take us to the very heart of South Africa -its vibrant colours, rich scents, the smell of baked earth, and the pleasure she derived from the simplest of tasks. I got lost in the atmosphere of it all.
This book truly is unputdownable and I read it in one sitting. A must for those who enjoy being transported to pastures new and have an appreciation of good writing. I defy anyone not to enjoy it!
Val Poore’s first venture to the country, where she lived on a farm for three years, is a vivid account of what became for her an idyllic existence, encompassing her love of the people (mainly Zulu) with their warmth and strength of spirit in the face of great hardship – lack of electricity, severe water shortage and constant threat of bush fires, to name but a few.
I marvelled at the author’s courage. To have embarked on a venture of this kind with two small children in tow, leaving behind the everyday comforts we all take for granted in exchange for a primitive way of life, takes a special kind of person. Even more impressive is the way she adjusted to it all and, in doing so, developed a deep affection for the country and great respect for its people.
The characters who formed part of her daily life in and around the farm are well painted; the wiles of one particular farmhand giving rise to some amusing situations. Given that she learnt the hard way, these are told with good humour, the absence of any malice a testament to the author’s tolerance and depth of understanding.
What crowned this colourful story for me was the concluding chapter. Here we have an exposition of her innermost feelings that clearly demonstrates the impact the place has had on her life. Her evocative descriptions take us to the very heart of South Africa -its vibrant colours, rich scents, the smell of baked earth, and the pleasure she derived from the simplest of tasks. I got lost in the atmosphere of it all.
This book truly is unputdownable and I read it in one sitting. A must for those who enjoy being transported to pastures new and have an appreciation of good writing. I defy anyone not to enjoy it!
November 6, 2019
I have never been to Africa, but I love reading memoirs which will teach me something new. Imagine how amazing I was, when reading this book to see the similarities with the Dominican Republic, where I live. The Dominicans also shout rather than speak, the people are amazingly kind, and we even get given chewing gum as change in stores, rather than money - although a month ago a law was passed outlawing this practice!
Getting back to the book. I loved it. The descriptions of everything are superb. and you really are transported into the heart of Africa and its people. The countryside is brought to life as you read, and you can totally empathise with the author - who on earth can live without electricity? Every little detail of daily life comes alive, from the joy of the rain, to trying to deal with a different culture and language, and learning how to milk a cow.
The only problem with this book is that it ends too soon, and I found myself desperate to find out what happened next, only to be so pleased to find out there is a sequel.
Definitely one to put on your reading list, to learn more about what sounds like an amazing country, to appreciate excellent descriptive writing, and to start following Val Poore, as if the other books she has written are half as good as this one, you are in for a real treat.
Getting back to the book. I loved it. The descriptions of everything are superb. and you really are transported into the heart of Africa and its people. The countryside is brought to life as you read, and you can totally empathise with the author - who on earth can live without electricity? Every little detail of daily life comes alive, from the joy of the rain, to trying to deal with a different culture and language, and learning how to milk a cow.
The only problem with this book is that it ends too soon, and I found myself desperate to find out what happened next, only to be so pleased to find out there is a sequel.
Definitely one to put on your reading list, to learn more about what sounds like an amazing country, to appreciate excellent descriptive writing, and to start following Val Poore, as if the other books she has written are half as good as this one, you are in for a real treat.
July 19, 2021
A Refreshingly Different and Affectionate Insight into Rural South Africa in the 80’s
I really enjoyed getting to know South Africa in the 80’s through the eyes of the author. What a contrast to what you heard about the country at the time, through the media, when apartheid was still in place. Seeking a warmer climate, the family up sticks from cold ol’ England and moved to a very rural part of Africa and this is done with two children under the age of 3 and on a shoestring. Some would say this was foolhardy and others, a brave move. I personally think the latter. Thankfully Bill managed to get a job quite quickly resulting in them moving into a little farm cottage in the foothills of the Dragensberg Mountains in Natal. Discovering a lack of electricity, serious water shortages and the threat of veld fires is taken in the author’s stride and she quickly learns by her mistakes. I love the way Val and her two little girls embraces this simple life surrounded by people full of warmth and affection. I particularly enjoyed reading all about their adventure to Port St Johns on the wild coast of Transkei. The author’s brilliant descriptive style of writing makes this a very readable book. An easy five star rating from me.
I really enjoyed getting to know South Africa in the 80’s through the eyes of the author. What a contrast to what you heard about the country at the time, through the media, when apartheid was still in place. Seeking a warmer climate, the family up sticks from cold ol’ England and moved to a very rural part of Africa and this is done with two children under the age of 3 and on a shoestring. Some would say this was foolhardy and others, a brave move. I personally think the latter. Thankfully Bill managed to get a job quite quickly resulting in them moving into a little farm cottage in the foothills of the Dragensberg Mountains in Natal. Discovering a lack of electricity, serious water shortages and the threat of veld fires is taken in the author’s stride and she quickly learns by her mistakes. I love the way Val and her two little girls embraces this simple life surrounded by people full of warmth and affection. I particularly enjoyed reading all about their adventure to Port St Johns on the wild coast of Transkei. The author’s brilliant descriptive style of writing makes this a very readable book. An easy five star rating from me.
April 2, 2021
Memorable record
In what many would consider a foolhardy move, Val and her husband Bill uprooted their young family and moved from the freezing winters of England to the sunnier climes of South Africa. With two young girls, no jobs and little money, they had little going for them apart from a faith in themselves and their ability to adapt.
The author and I are of a similar age, and while I travelled through Asia in 1981, her family embarked on a very different life-changing adventure. They had the good fortune to become immersed in a mixture of Western and Zulu culture, living in a remote house in the mountains with no electricity. The lifestyle suited the family and gave the young girls a very different upbringing to what they would have experienced in England.
Instead of being written as a chronological memoir, the author divided it into sections covering different subjects and groups of memories. This evocative style gives you the feeling that you are living the experiences alongside her. It takes skill to write in this way, and Val Poore has produced a memorable record of the three years in her life that she still remembers with fondness.
In what many would consider a foolhardy move, Val and her husband Bill uprooted their young family and moved from the freezing winters of England to the sunnier climes of South Africa. With two young girls, no jobs and little money, they had little going for them apart from a faith in themselves and their ability to adapt.
The author and I are of a similar age, and while I travelled through Asia in 1981, her family embarked on a very different life-changing adventure. They had the good fortune to become immersed in a mixture of Western and Zulu culture, living in a remote house in the mountains with no electricity. The lifestyle suited the family and gave the young girls a very different upbringing to what they would have experienced in England.
Instead of being written as a chronological memoir, the author divided it into sections covering different subjects and groups of memories. This evocative style gives you the feeling that you are living the experiences alongside her. It takes skill to write in this way, and Val Poore has produced a memorable record of the three years in her life that she still remembers with fondness.
March 29, 2026
I just finished African Ways (The Afrikan Ways Series, Book 1) by Val Poore, and it truly felt like traveling through Africa alongside her. Val’s writing is richly descriptive—she brings her surroundings to life with such clarity that you can almost see, hear, feel and smell everything she experiences. I found myself fully immersed in her world.
I especially connected with parts of her story, having grown up in the Philippines. Moments like water shortages, power outages, the childrearing habit of household help felt both familiar and grounding.
What stood out most was her keen observation of everyday life—the beauty, the challenges, and the emotional highs and lows of adapting to a completely different environment. Moving from a modern life in the United Kingdom to a remote farm in Africa with her husband and two young daughters is no small feat, and I truly admire her courage to make this leap.
This book is more than a travel narrative—it’s an honest and immersive journey into culture, resilience, and human connection, told with wit and quiet insight.
A compelling and heartfelt read.
I especially connected with parts of her story, having grown up in the Philippines. Moments like water shortages, power outages, the childrearing habit of household help felt both familiar and grounding.
What stood out most was her keen observation of everyday life—the beauty, the challenges, and the emotional highs and lows of adapting to a completely different environment. Moving from a modern life in the United Kingdom to a remote farm in Africa with her husband and two young daughters is no small feat, and I truly admire her courage to make this leap.
This book is more than a travel narrative—it’s an honest and immersive journey into culture, resilience, and human connection, told with wit and quiet insight.
A compelling and heartfelt read.
June 26, 2025
This is an interesting and delightful memoir of a slice of Val’s life when she upped sticks from the UK, and moved thousands of miles to KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). What is totally awe-inspiring is that she went with a three month old daughter, and toddler older sister Jodie. They did not have a home to go to and neither her husband nor Val had a job there. It was either mad or very brave, or actually both. It was certainly a culture shock for Val, especially due to the lack of electricity and water, both commonplace occurrences in Africa. The lighting of the oil lamps was a nightly event. The weather in Cottingham fascinated me and Val vividly captured the strength of it. There’s wonderful descriptions of their life and the people. Many and varied entertaining stories along the way.
Val beautifully brings the sights, sounds and smells of Africa into your hands with this book.
Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommend
Val beautifully brings the sights, sounds and smells of Africa into your hands with this book.
Thoroughly enjoyable, highly recommend
September 2, 2025
I first read African Ways six years ago. It was my introduction to the brilliant author Valerie Poore and I was so impressed I went on to read every single book she had written, 15 in total! She is a truly gifted writer and her books have brought me hours of pleasure.
So, when I heard Val had produced her first audiobook (African Ways) last month, I pounced on it.
What a joy - I found it brought her writing alive in an entirely unexpected way, and to listen to the story as I did my housework gave me much-valued freedom.
Nothing will replace the written word for me but Val’s audiobook was an absolute delight. Listening to a book I love while prepping the veg proved a real bonus!
Now I’m off to download African Ways Again audiobook which Val released a few days ago.
Want to know more? Available to purchase from Amazon.com or through Audible. Check out the Virtual Voice Sample for a taster!
So, when I heard Val had produced her first audiobook (African Ways) last month, I pounced on it.
What a joy - I found it brought her writing alive in an entirely unexpected way, and to listen to the story as I did my housework gave me much-valued freedom.
Nothing will replace the written word for me but Val’s audiobook was an absolute delight. Listening to a book I love while prepping the veg proved a real bonus!
Now I’m off to download African Ways Again audiobook which Val released a few days ago.
Want to know more? Available to purchase from Amazon.com or through Audible. Check out the Virtual Voice Sample for a taster!
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October 3, 2019A super- interesting story and very well told
Imagine yourself arriving to live in a rural setting in a new country with two very young children, not much money and very few prospects. How would you react and more importantly, how would you cope with your new and strange life?
This is what happened to Valerie Poore and she reacted positively to everything and coped absolutely brilliantly, although not without a few trials and tribulations along the way.
Valliere is a wonderfully descriptive writer to the extent that I could imagine being there with her. She also tells a lovely storey in a way that kept me interested from beginning to end. I want to find out what happened next, so I am just about to buy the next book in the series.
Imagine yourself arriving to live in a rural setting in a new country with two very young children, not much money and very few prospects. How would you react and more importantly, how would you cope with your new and strange life?
This is what happened to Valerie Poore and she reacted positively to everything and coped absolutely brilliantly, although not without a few trials and tribulations along the way.
Valliere is a wonderfully descriptive writer to the extent that I could imagine being there with her. She also tells a lovely storey in a way that kept me interested from beginning to end. I want to find out what happened next, so I am just about to buy the next book in the series.
October 8, 2020
A charming story of life in rural South Africa.
Having thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author’s time on her barge in Rotterdam, I was delighted to find a new series of books about her earlier life in South Africa. This lady sure does know how to transport herself from one extreme to the other. This time she is moving from the UK in the early 1980s to rural Zulu Africa. No electricity, droughts, water from a stream and old-fashioned farming and all that with a small family. It was like meeting up with an old friend reading more of Val’s books; she has an effortless, relaxed and friendly style of writing that makes it very easy to sit in a comfy chair and lose yourself for two or three hours with one of her books.
Having thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author’s time on her barge in Rotterdam, I was delighted to find a new series of books about her earlier life in South Africa. This lady sure does know how to transport herself from one extreme to the other. This time she is moving from the UK in the early 1980s to rural Zulu Africa. No electricity, droughts, water from a stream and old-fashioned farming and all that with a small family. It was like meeting up with an old friend reading more of Val’s books; she has an effortless, relaxed and friendly style of writing that makes it very easy to sit in a comfy chair and lose yourself for two or three hours with one of her books.
February 7, 2022
This is a loving glimpse, by author Valerie Poore, into some of South Africa’s many beautiful regions and peoples. As the author mentions, these are the tales of an outsider’s first experience of life in Africa, and she takes a warm and witty look at the country she absorbed and learnt from. She shares with much fondness how she came to love it along the way. It sure had me reminiscing about my life in South Africa too, under very similar circumstances. I recommend this book to all who enjoy travelling and learning about other cultures. A big thank you to the author, for sharing and opening her heart to the people of South Africa, and I’m looking forward to reading African Ways Book 2 (and the author’s other travel adventures too)…
November 14, 2023
Val Poore has written a series of books that recount her story of moving to Africa then later, her travels in Europe.
In "Africa Ways", she recounts the story of a move with her husband to a property in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region of South Africa in the early 1980s. The property came to them by chance.
Val has a delightfully mature writing style; articulate-with an easy tone that takes you with her in a collection of stories, moreorless on a timelime, but also by theme.
She evokes the African bush, community, people and the weather - where it is relentlessly hot yet can pour.
I was hooked to this book, and this series, which taught me more about Africa than I've ever got in a wasted boyhood of reading Wilbur Smith et al.
In "Africa Ways", she recounts the story of a move with her husband to a property in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region of South Africa in the early 1980s. The property came to them by chance.
Val has a delightfully mature writing style; articulate-with an easy tone that takes you with her in a collection of stories, moreorless on a timelime, but also by theme.
She evokes the African bush, community, people and the weather - where it is relentlessly hot yet can pour.
I was hooked to this book, and this series, which taught me more about Africa than I've ever got in a wasted boyhood of reading Wilbur Smith et al.
January 21, 2019
This was a pleasant summary of the author's experiences living in a farm cottage in South Africa's Natal in the early 1980's. It is before the break up of segregation in South Africa, but that was not much of an issue in this traditional Zulu dominated region. She has two tiny daughters which make life very interesting and opens up more close relationships,with the Zulu women and their culture.
Very good descriptions of challenges of life without electricity and with very limited water supplied by a spring up,the mountain.r
There is no story line, just reminiscences of her three years there.
Very good descriptions of challenges of life without electricity and with very limited water supplied by a spring up,the mountain.r
There is no story line, just reminiscences of her three years there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews