Under Table Mountain

by Nigel Patten

The last decade of the 19th century were troubled years in South Africa. Tension between Britain and the two Boer republics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, increased until war became inevitable. These turbulent ten years saw many notable figures pass through Cape Town at various times and for various reasons, figures like Robert Baden-Powell, Rudyard Kipling, Jan Smuts or Cecil Rhodes. All of them were friends, guests or visitors at ‘Mon Desir’, the home of Sir Henry Juta, barrister and Speaker of the Cape House. This is the story of Louise Juta, the youngest of his four daughters, from her birth until she left South Africa in 1902 to go to school in England and never return. She spent the last years of her long life in Switzerland. I would drop in most days for an hour or two to play scrabble with Lady Luia Forbes, as she then was, and listen to her reminiscing. This is the result.

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2011

About the author

Although born in the UK, Nigel Patten has lived in Switzerland since the 1960's. In addition to writing 5 novels and a 3-act play, he teaches English literature for the French Baccalaureate in an international alpine college. He has travelled extensively on all continents, driving to India and back and across the Sahara. He is also a keen cross country skier and mountain walker.

Nigel Patten’s novels are set in different historical periods, but his greatest interest lies in developing a style combining poetic prose and the stream of consciousness.