Waar begin ek? Hierdie is seker een van die mooiste, aangrypendste, diepste en eg menslike romantiese verhaal wat ek nog in 'n lang tyd gelees het. My vriendin het aangehou ek lees die storie van Irma Joubert, en ek is nie 'n oomblik spyt nie. Hierdie storie bevat soveel insiggewende oomblikke, feite rondom al twee oorloë wat ek nie van geweet het nie. Sommige geskiedkundige gebeurtenisse van Namibië (Suidwes- Afrika) wat ek totaal onbewus was van, en ek is in Namibië gebore!! Ek moet vir Irma Joubert komplimenteer vir al haar moeite en tyd wat sy ingesit het vir al die navorsing en naslaanwerk wat sy gedoen het, om hierdie meesterstuk te kan skryf. Sy is 'n ystervrou, en ek respekteer haar as 'n skrywer, en ek sal hierdie storie altyd aanbeveel. Nadat ek Immer Wes gelees het, het ek besef hoe gelukkig en bevoorreg ons is om nie in die twee oorloë tye groot te geword het, en te gesukkel het soos ons voorvaders nie.
Immer Wes gaan oor Hildegard, 'n gelowige dogtertjie uit die Duitse adelstand, wat groot geword het by 'n pa wat nooit weer wil arm wees nie, en 'n snobistiese ma wat geen liefde vir haar man of kind het nie. Sy het haar hart al vroeg verloor op Gustav, die mooi en vriendelike jong man wat Suid-Wes Afrika stories vertel en seëls met haar deel. Maar eendag is hy net weg, en sy het altyd aan hom gedink en wonder wat het van hom geword deur die jare. Sy het in haar tienerjare van vroeg af die lelike kant van die Eerstewêreldoorlog gesien en ervaar. Na die oorlog, is 'n huwelik vir haar gereël, en sy is getroud met 'n wewenaar, wat reeds twee seuns het. Tydens haar huwelik met Siegfried von Stein, het sy self 2 mooi seuns in die wêrled gebring, en ook heelwat later, 'n pragtige dogtertjie. Net na Esther se geboorte, neem die Tweedewêreldoorlog in volle swang, en sy ervaar weer hartseer en verdriet en vrees. Sy moet alles in haar vermoë doen om haar en haar baba veilig, lewend en gevoed te hou, terwyl haar man en seuns afwesig is en help met die oorlog. Weens omstandighede na die oorlog, vertrek sy saam met Andreas (haar tweede man, vennoot van Siegfried en ook 'n wewenaar) Suid Afrika toe, om van daar af Suid-Wes Afrika toe te gaan en as 'n sendelingsdokter te gaan werk. Maar weereens werk die planne nie so mooi uit nie, en sy beland alleen in Suid-Wes, ver in die Noorde. Sy aanvaar 'n pos as 'n huishoudster in Windhoek, en ontmoet weer haar eerste liefde, Gustav.
Ek moet net noem, dat die 25 000 duiwe wat tydens die 1936 olimpiese spele los gelaat is, en na 'n kanonskoot effens los magies gehad het, was baie lagwekkend gewees. Ek kon nie glo wat ek lees nie, en het toe self uitgevind dat dié insident waar is. Irma, jou navorsing is uitstekend, en ek het baie geleer uit Immer Wes. 'n Maklike 5-ster lees!
Where do I begin? This is probably the most beautiful, gripping, deep, romantic and heartfelt story I've read in a long while. My friend insisted I read this, and I'm not disappointed. Irma Joubert has turned this fiction story into a historical lecture regarding the two world wars, stories and facts I didn't know existed. She has even written accurate, historical events from my own country (Namibia) that I didn't off, and I was born here!!! I have to commend Irma on how well she did her research to write this masterpiece. This is a story I will always highly recommend. This story made me so grateful that I wasn't born during the first- and second World war, and that I was spared the cruelty and devastation what our forefathers had to go through.
Immer Wes is about Hildegard, a young girl full of faith that was born noble to a father that never wanted to be poor again, and a mother that is absolute loveless towards her husband and child. Hildegard lost her heart to Gustav, a young and handsome scholar, that loved to share his stories regarding his homeland South West Africa, and even shared postal stamps with her. But one day, he was gone, and she forever wondered where he is, and how he was doing. When she was a teenager, the Great War started, and she volunteered to help the hospital with the wounded soldiers. There she learned how ugly war can be. After the Great War, her father arranged her to be married to a widower, medical doctor Siegfried von Stein. He had two sons from his previous marriage and shared 3 more children with Hildegard. After the birth of her third child, World War 2 was in full swing, and she had to raise her daughter alone without any help from her sons and husband. They went off to war and left her to fight for the survival of herself and her baby. During this war, she endured a lot of devastation, not just physically, but emotionally as well. After the Second World War ended, she married Andreas, a friend of Siegfried, and they moved to Southern Africa. Something happens, and Hildegard along with her daughter, finds themselves alone in the northern part South West Africa (Namibia). Hildegard finds a job in Windhoek (capital of Namibia) as a housekeeper and meets Gustav again.
I have to mention, that during the 1936 Olympic event, 25 000 pigeons were released as a symbol of peace and were flying above the stadium. When the canon/s fired, you can imagine what happened to 25 000 frighted and confused pigeons? They had little accidents midair, and their accidents rained down upon the athletes and spectators. This is the funniest thing I've ever read, and it was unbelievable. I researched this, and it indeed happened. Why have I never heard of this? Irma Joubert, you have an amazing ability and talent to do remarkable research to ensure a masterpiece. I've learned a lot from this story. This is an easy 5-star read!