The Order of Things
by
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South Africa underwent many changes from the 1930s, through apartheid, to the first free election in 1994. The Order of Things is the gripping story of three men from different backgrounds whose lives intersect. MARIUS Strydom — heir to a politically powerful Boer farmer — grows up on a farm, nurtured by stories of the bitter struggles of his people. He becomes a prominent lawyer. His boyhood playmate, JEREMIAH Ngubeni, born to black labourers on the Strydom farm, is banished by Marius after a misunderstanding and works as a mechanic in Johannesburg. NEIL Robertson, raised in Guildford, UK, leaves his parents, to seek opportunities in Johannesburg. Doors open for the two whites in apartheid South Africa. Jeremiah tries to close the door on his life of struggle but is frustrated by discrimination, and dogged by misfortune. He is accused of murder, and drunken white youths kill his oldest son. Grief-stricken, Jeremiah cannot remain passive. He becomes an ambitious militant opponent of the apartheid regime but is forced to flee into exile and is reportedly assassinated, as apartheid crumbles.
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About the Book
Discrimination, ambition, assassination, love and tragedy shape this fast-paced tale about the lives of three men from different backgrounds—during the tumultuous period in South Africa’s history from the 1930s, through apartheid, to the first free election in 1994.
The Order of Things weaves their gripping stories as conflicting political and social forces threaten the survival of each of them.
Marius Strydom—heir to a politically powerful Boer farmer—is nurtured by the lore of the bitter battles of his people against the British. His boyhood playmate, Jeremiah Ngubeni, born to black labourers on the farm, is banished by Marius as a young man. The ambitious Neil Robertson, raised in England, leaves home to seek his fortune in Johannesburg.
While doors open for the two white men, Jeremiah experiences a different South Africa. All three are tested by the order of things as each tries to forge his destiny.
About the Author
Basil Georgiou was born in 1956 in South Africa. After studying law, he joined the Johannesburg Bar in 1981. Basil has lived in Perth, Australia, since 1986 where he became a senior partner of a leading law firm.