Diane Grace de Reuck

Wolmunster Diane Grace de Reuck

William Ropert, 35 yrs old, embarks on a voyage to the Cape Colony in 1839, leaving Dublin and his former life in Dublin behind. He is forced to desert his only true love, Fanny McBride. She had been financially responsible for his studies and his achievement of becoming a barrister. Their love remains a secret and social mores complicate their relationship. Appointed by the Whig Government under Earl Grey, William takes up the post of Attorney General in Cape Town. His ability to influence others and to deliver solutions for the difficult political problems found at the Cape, result in his popularity as a liberal politician. His life is exciting and new acquaintances enrich his life. He meets a young woman, Nerina, and falls in love with her. William proposes to this daughter of a merchant, but their relationship is fraught with problems especially as the memory of Fanny still haunts him. In the meantime Cape Town grows in importance as an exporter of wool, some metals and wood from the eastern Cape. Issues such as drafting a Constitution for the Colony and fine tuning the taxation of individuals, William's belief in the equality of all men brings concepts of a civilised society to the Cape. As we meet Capetonians, Christian and Malay, Black and White one is rapidly transported into the milieu of colonialism and the seeds of racial inequality are beginning to take root. From the San Bushmen to the British and Boer, the various elements of Cape Society are unveiled. This novel is a magic carpet with different skeins of many colours woven together to delight you.