Fiela's Child Dalene Matthee

Fiela’s Child by Dalene Matthee follows the life of Benjamin as he is separated from the Komoeties to live with his apparent birth family (the van Rooyens). As the story progresses, Benjamin’s transition reflects the tensions between his two...

In Fiela’s Child, the two families, the van Rooyens and the Komoeties, have a strong connection with animals, albeit not always a positive connection. The van Rooyens have a problem with elephants in the forest. The Komoeties’ ostriches give the...

Though eventually peaking during Apartheid, the concept of racial prejudice was long deep rooted in nineteenth century South African society. Due to this, it was only natural for these issues to be reflected in Fiela’s Child, especially evident in...