The Burning Land

Product Information

I liked the mood of the author that came out in the right moments to give more life to the dialogues and to make them more natural and easygoing. It looks at how power corrupts and creates a dangerous atmosphere which is very evident as Lindi who is white (born in South Africa) tries to move around the country to try to find answers. A clever tale of government corruption,no shocks there, but the tale of the individuals involved both in the scam and those ,skilfully depicted,against is absorbing and at times emotional.

The Burning Land | George Alagiah | 9781786897923 | NetGalley The Burning Land | George Alagiah | 9781786897923 | NetGalley

Add to this mix a prominent government official aware of Lesedi's documents proving corruption, his secret meeting with Kagiso, and a vengeful scorned woman from the past. It also took me a while to figure out who was who and which organisations they represented at the start of the book, so I was about a third in before I really caught up with what was going on, but perhaps that was just me being obtuse.

Alagiah paints a multilayered complex picture of SA, the varied viewpoints of some its people, a government mired in corruption, with ministers looking to line their own pockets, such as Jake Willemse in the story. It’s 1904, and Thomas Bexley, an early forensic photographer, travels to a remote village in Wales to investigate the gruesome murder of a young girl.

The Burning Land - George Alagiah - Google Books The Burning Land - George Alagiah - Google Books

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. As a journalist, I try hard to discover the facts, the things you can see, touch and measure; As a novelist, I've tried to find the truth, something more elusive, less tangible. The Burning Land was shortlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and the Paul Torday Memorial Prize.George Alagiah, renowned BBC presenter and journalist presents his debut novel about the struggle South Africa has faced for many decades in which he puts his extensive knowledge of the political situation to good use. It took me that long to feel comfortable in my Britishness; to reach a point where I didn’t feel it could be taken away.

The Burning Land - Alagiah, George: 9781786897947 - AbeBooks The Burning Land - Alagiah, George: 9781786897947 - AbeBooks

Both have links back to fighting apartheid, Lindi through her parents and Anton, through imprisonment by the regime. In July it was the 50th anniversary of the murders of Sharon Tate and her friends by the followers of Charles Manson and cult lit seems to be having a moment. Although Alagiah makes fairly heavy weather of the necessary scene-setting and exposition, it’s worth hanging in there, as the plot shifts up a gear and becomes a gripping tale of events spinning out of control in a country struggling to redefine itself. Her white family were prominent opponents of the apartheid regime, a liberal family who treated Maude, their servant and her son, Kasigo, as family. Their journey is fraught and the pair must deal with the results of wide scale corruption and mistrust.Heidi Klum reveals behind-the-scenes look of THAT Peacock Halloween costume (which took SIX HOURS to complete! Although the cult itself is not entirely convincing, the novel is a very good study of vulnerability, and how our best intentions can often lead us astray. The author asks a series of questions, many of a philosophical nature, throughout the narrative which provided much food for thought. The novel is very well written and depicts the country and it’s people so vividly it is easy to picture and it has an authentic feel.