The Inn at Helsvlakte

by Patricia Schonstein

In the Karoo-like landscape of a mythical country beset with civil war, tarot cards are brandished and bones swiftly turn to dust. Against the backdrop of this arid place, Kitty Cloete, the inkeeper’s wife, survives on her inner resources.

Strong and self-willed, Kitty is a skilled equestrienne, wheelwright, blacksmith and talented harpist – none of which could shield her from an arranged marriage after an ill-fated romance. And now, devastation at Helsvlakte. After State soldiers are ambushed by Separatist guerillas, a critically injured captain arrives at the inn. For the haunted man, whose face has been disfigured in combat, the soulful music of Kitty’s harp becomes the elixir that brings him back to life.

But drama awaits offstage. A young man who witnessed the slaying of his family and the torching of their farm hears of the captain’s residence at the inn. He holds the captain responsible for the tragedy that befell his loved ones, and sets out to find him.

The Inn at Helsvlakte is present-day troubadour Patricia Schonstein’s bewitching tale of love and betrayal, family, human foibles and the theatre of war.

216 pages, Paperback

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[Lesley Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Inn at Helsvlakte with its combination of war, romance, humour and most of all imagination. Tremendous characters, some more eccentric than others, weave a fast-paced entertaining tale that is almost like an adult fairy-tale. I look forward to reading more by Patricia Schonstein.

[Georgina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just magnificent. If not my Book of the Year, it’s certainly in the top three. It tells the story of an inn on the Karoo flats near to where a terrible military massacre took place, the innkeepers' family and the guests who stay there. The story reveals itself in spirals of interwoven relevance, with characters flawed and fantastical driving the narrative. But it’s the ambience of the Karoo life, magnified and expansive, and the alternative South African history that I really loved. The book is also technically brilliant. Patricia Schonstein is a poet who took ten years to write this book, and it shows – there’s beauty in the wording and the construction, but without ever sacrificing story in pursuit of aesthetics. Not a word or a thought was out of place – and the slow dawning of understanding of what actually happened in the massacre is the most beautifully paced literary reveal I can remember.
If I were to compare it to anything else, it would be the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or the war satire of Louis de Bernieres.

[Leonie Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often you pick up a book, not quite knowing what to expect. You run to your app where all your books are stored and notice that there are only 2 reviews on the book.....and then you ask yourself, 'Why did I buy this book then?'

Then you take a deep breath, pour yourself a cup of coffee and settle into your most comfortable chair for the journey into the unknown, ready to be swept away or dumped back to reality after page 2.

What a pleasant surprise 'The Inn At Helsvlakte' is!

The intrigue, the secrets, the web of lies, all delicately woven together.

As I  finished the last sentence, I sat back, exhaled and said 'WOW'....and then realised I finished the book in one sitting.

There is much to say about this book, but I am afraid I might give away too much, so I will take the easy option out.....and tell you to go buy the book and read it for yourself!