You will be safe here by Damian Barr

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019

This story starts in 2010 when Willem‘s mother and stepfather take him to New Dawn camp near Johannesburg. They hope it will “make him a man”.

The door locks behind him and life will never be the same again.

In 1901 Mrs van der Watt and her young son watch as her cows and pigs are slaughtered and their house is set alight.

The train takes them to Bloemfontein Camp.

In 1976, Rayna’s life also changes.

This is a mix of devastating fact and shatteringly realistic fiction. As I turned each page I feared what would happen next and I was left wondering whether, when and where something similar might happen again.

A heart breaking story of man’s inhumanity to man which, combined with brilliant writing and a huge amount of research, makes this one of those books everyone should read; then read again, talk about and remember.

A Book group must.