Synopses & Reviews
"Brink blends history with invention and African myth . . . This bloody fable, rooted in bloody reality, is one of Brink's most powerful works."-
Los Angeles Times Book Review Hanna X is a young German woman who wants to escape her tortured childhood by moving to her country's colony in South-West Africa. Upon arriving, however, she is confronted with the harsh realities of colonial life. For resisting the advances of a German officer, she is banished to Frauenstein, a phantasmagoric outpost that is at once a prison, nunnery, and brothel. When the drunken excesses of visiting soldiers threaten the young girl who has become her only companion, Hanna revolts.
Mounting a ragtag army of women and native victims of colonial brutality, she sets out on an epic journey to take on the German Reich. Combining the history of colonialism with the myths of Africa, this is an exquisitely written tale of suffering, violence, revenge, and love.
André Brink has won South Africa's major literary prize, the CAN, three times and has twice been short-listed for the Booker Prize. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
Review
"A novel of unforgettable power." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"A shrewd meditation on the dehumanizing power of hatred." The New Yorker
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"[A] brilliant tale in which sharp glints of hope manage to illumine a near-unbearably inhumane world." The Baltimore Sun
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"This bloody fable, rooted in bloody reality, is one of Brink's most powerful works." Los Angeles Times Book Review
Review
"[A] brilliant tale in which sharp glints of hope manage to illumine a near-unbearably inhumane world."
Review
PRAISE FORTHE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE
“Over the course of this novel, Hanna X goes from being just a cipher in history to a stirring presence on the page. So stirring, that if you pick up this book, youll probably have to set it down now and then, as I did—just to catch your breath.”— ALAN CHEUSE on NPRS ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
“Brink blends history with invention and African myth. . . .This bloodyfable, rooted in bloody reality, is one of Brinks most powerful works.”—LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Synopsis
With years of abuse behind her and a bleak future ahead, a young German woman dreams of her country's colony in South-West Africa. When she learns of the women being transported to the colony to attend to the needs of male settlers, Hanna X takes the leap.
In Africa she is confronted with the harsh realities of colonial life. For resisting the advances of a German officer, she is banished to Frauenstein, a phantasmagoric outpost that is at once a "prison, nunnery, brothel, and shithouse." When the drunken excesses of visiting soldiers threaten the young girl who has become her only companion, Hanna revolts.
Mounting a ragtag army of women and native victims of brutality, she sets out on an epic journey to take on the German Reich. Combining the history of colonialism with the myths of Africa, this is an exquisitely written tale of suffering, violence, revenge, and, simply, love.
Synopsis
PRAISE FOR ANDRÉ BRINK
"Peter Carey, Garcia Marquez, Solzhenitsyn: André Brink must be considered with that class of writer." - The Guardian (London)
PRAISE FOR THE RIGHTS OF DESIRE
"Whoever reads this lyrical, deeply moral novel cannot expect to remain unmoved." - Boston Review
PRAISE FOR DEVIL'S VALLEY
"Wildly imaginative fiction." - The Boston Globe
"Colorful, idiosyncratic characters, larger than life, populate the pages and stay with one long after the book is closed." - The Seattle Times
PRAISE FOR A DRY WHITE SEASON
"A powerful and provocative work, highly charged and political . . . A literary achievement of the first rank." - Houston Chronicle
Synopsis
With years of abuse behind her and a bleak future ahead, a young German woman dreams of her country's colony in South-West Africa. When she learns of the women being transported to the colony to attend to the needs of male settlers, Hanna X takes the leap.
In Africa she is confronted with the harsh realities of colonial life. For resisting the advances of a German officer, she is banished to Frauenstein, a phantasmagoric outpost that is at once a "prison, nunnery, brothel, and shithouse." When the drunken excesses of visiting soldiers threaten the young girl who has become her only companion, Hanna revolts.
Mounting a ragtag army of women and native victims of brutality, she sets out on an epic journey to take on the German Reich. Combining the history of colonialism with the myths of Africa, this is an exquisitely written tale of suffering, violence, revenge, and, simply, love.
About the Author
Andre Brink was born in South Africa in 1935. He is a three-time recipient of South Africa's CNA Award, and has been twice short-listed for the Booker Prize. He is a professor of English at the University of Cape Town.