A Quilt Of Dreams

by Patricia Schonstein

Set in Grahamstown, South Africa, during the 1990s, at the height of political unrest and opposition to apartheid, this is the bittersweet story of two people whose lives intertwine without them ever knowing each other - one a heavy-drinking white man and the other the young daughter of a black activist. Reuben Cohen van Tonder's battle with unresolved grief and his search for hidden peace and Vita Mbuli's innocent resolve to remove the bad luck which has troubled her family for generations, climax together in a wondrous resolution of personal and national triumph. This tale captures the harsh and brutal realities of South Africa's past with its raw and sore racism, interlacing them with enchantment, tenderness, forgiveness and hope.

Patricia Schonstein grew up in Zimbabwe and now lives in South Africa. Her first novel, the award-winning Skyline, was followed by the acclaimed A Time of Angels and The Apothecary's Daughter. She completed her master's degree in creative writing under the supervision of J.M. Coetzee at the University of Cape Town. For more information about Patricia Schonstein and her books, see her website at www.afsun.co.uk