You Will Be Safe Here

Name: You Will Be Safe Here
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781408886052
Price: 22.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Damian Barr

0.0 (0 reviews)

4.02

( 2,102 ratings, 398 reviews)

Summary

You Will Be Safe Here by Damian Barr interweaves two narratives across different time periods. It explores the impact of war and conflict in South Africa, beginning with the Boer War and moving to contemporary times. The story delves into themes of survival, family, and the enduring consequences of historical trauma.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel may appeal to you if you're drawn to powerful stories that weave together different timelines and historical events in South Africa. With its themes of family, survival, and resilience, it provides an absorbing look into human strength and the legacy of past trauma, offering both emotional depth and historical exploration.

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A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME

The stunning and shocking debut novel from the award-winning author of Maggie & Me. Set in South Africa You Will Be Safe Here explores legacies of abuse, redemption and the strength of the human spirit

Description

An Observer, Guardian, Financial Times, Sunday Times South Africa, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Big Issue, and Strong Words Pick of the Year

An Irish Times and The Times Summer Reading Pick

Shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award

Shortlisted for the London Magazine Debut Fiction Prize 2020

Longlisted for HWA Debut Crown 2020

‘Beautifully written and emotionally devastating’ - Daily Mail

A beautiful and heart-breaking story set in South Africa where two mothers - a century apart - must fight for their sons, unaware their fates are inextricably linked.

Orange Free State, 1901. At the height of the Boer War, Sarah van der Watt and her six-year-old son Fred can only watch as the British burn their farm. The polite invaders cart them off to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp promising you will be safe here.

Johannesburg, 2010. Sixteen-year-old Willem is an outsider who just wants to be left alone with his Harry Potter books and Britney, his beloved pug. Worried he’s turning out soft, his Ma and her new boyfriend send him to New Dawn Safari Camp, where they ‘make men out of boys.’ Guaranteed.

The red earth of the veldt keeps countless secrets whether beaten by the blistering sun or stretching out beneath starlit stillness. But no secret can stay buried forever.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Damian Barr's You Will Be Safe Here has received widespread acclaim for its powerful and moving storytelling, seamlessly interweaving historical and contemporary narratives from South Africa. Critics describe it as beautifully written, emotionally gripping, and an insightful exploration of violence, history, and human resilience. The novel is praised for its lyrical language and compassionate portrayal of characters, offering a compelling indictment of colonial histories and their lingering impacts.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408886052

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 April 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 248g

Pages: 352

Collections

Damian Barr Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Damian Barr is an award-winning writer and columnist. Maggie & Me, his memoir about coming of age and coming out in Thatcher's Britain, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and Sunday Times Memoir of the Year, and won the Paddy Power Political Books 'Satire' Award and Stonewall Writer of the Year Award. Damian writes columns for the Big Issue and High Life and often appears on BBC Radio 4. He is creator and host of his own Literary Salon that premieres work from established and emerging writers. You Will Be Safe Here is his debut novel. Damian Barr lives in Brighton.

@Damian_Barr

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