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RIVER: freedom comes slowly
A mysterious dream-like start… a seemingly innocuous question… and the shadow of a hidden trauma – these are the intriguing elements that open Simon Cole’s scorching new novel RIVER, where middle-class English academia gives way to the vicious oppression of apartheid South Africa, and comfortable young lives are cast into the cauldron of brutal racial discrimination and violence.
Harry, or is it Richard? – the liberal product of the post-war university boom;
Emmanuel – the intense and committed advocate of freedom;
Nobomi – the mysterious African woman whose name means Life and who seems to sense the strands of a story which, like the River of its title, gains pace and depth on its way to the Ocean, the Indian Ocean, a few miles only from its mysterious beginning.
Along the way we are challenged in our assumptions and our beliefs, in our comfortable slide into convenient dualism, in our eagerness for certainty and our willingness to be deluded… because this is a story of depth, and of living, as well as a nail-biting roller-coaster that leaves us facing the enigma of the recurring dream.
Harry, or is it Richard? – the liberal product of the post-war university boom;
Emmanuel – the intense and committed advocate of freedom;
Nobomi – the mysterious African woman whose name means Life and who seems to sense the strands of a story which, like the River of its title, gains pace and depth on its way to the Ocean, the Indian Ocean, a few miles only from its mysterious beginning.
Along the way we are challenged in our assumptions and our beliefs, in our comfortable slide into convenient dualism, in our eagerness for certainty and our willingness to be deluded… because this is a story of depth, and of living, as well as a nail-biting roller-coaster that leaves us facing the enigma of the recurring dream.
249 pages, Paperback
Published May 29, 2024
About the author
Simon Cole
28 books10 followersLifelong (almost) therapist turned writer, author, observer of people, observer of myself…
Poet, philosopher (who isn’t?), lover of music, lover of mountains, lover of solitude (sometimes), lover of stories, believer in journeying (without needing to arrive), believer in being just who we are, believer in human kindliness...
I have written many journal articles and made contributions in different areas online and in professional journals… produced books on philosophy, meditation, mindfulness, even on ‘doing therapy’… and now I’ve turned to novels with the White Cat Books… fiction, semi-fiction, relationship in its widest sense, all with the therapist’s touch, a genre of reflective story-telling.
My muse is the Pyrenees Mountains, the home of our Retreat in France… where I can indulge a walking, musicking, creative mindfulness, listening to the rhythms and feeling the beat of Turangalîla, the thread of life.
Poet, philosopher (who isn’t?), lover of music, lover of mountains, lover of solitude (sometimes), lover of stories, believer in journeying (without needing to arrive), believer in being just who we are, believer in human kindliness...
I have written many journal articles and made contributions in different areas online and in professional journals… produced books on philosophy, meditation, mindfulness, even on ‘doing therapy’… and now I’ve turned to novels with the White Cat Books… fiction, semi-fiction, relationship in its widest sense, all with the therapist’s touch, a genre of reflective story-telling.
My muse is the Pyrenees Mountains, the home of our Retreat in France… where I can indulge a walking, musicking, creative mindfulness, listening to the rhythms and feeling the beat of Turangalîla, the thread of life.
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June 10, 2024
"River" by Simon Cole was an exceptional read that transported me into the vividly painted world of the story. The protagonist is relatable and easy to root for, and I felt a deep sympathy for his struggles as he sought to expand his horizons and confront his past.
Nobomi and Emmanuel are vibrant characters who, with their intelligence and maturity, guide both the protagonist and the reader through the narrative. Their presence adds depth and richness to the story.
The author's descriptive writing style is compelling, pulling me into the heart of a tense and tumultuous period in apartheid-era South Africa. This immersive experience made the book not just a story, but a journey through a significant historical time.
Nobomi and Emmanuel are vibrant characters who, with their intelligence and maturity, guide both the protagonist and the reader through the narrative. Their presence adds depth and richness to the story.
The author's descriptive writing style is compelling, pulling me into the heart of a tense and tumultuous period in apartheid-era South Africa. This immersive experience made the book not just a story, but a journey through a significant historical time.
Displaying 1 of 1 review