Out of mind
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"The year is 1908. The British colonial government has embarked on a tree-planting and beautification project on bleak, wind-swept Robben Island where people with leprosy are kept in fenced compounds, "out of sight, out of mind of the good people of Cape Town". On this island set up solely to house society's outcasts, there is also an insane asylum and a small convict station, administered along strict racial lines by local officials. What despicable acts do these people try to conceal? Out of mind is not a political novel. Instead, it is a deeply human story. We arrive on the island at the same time as Reggie van Riet, the new senior clerk, and discover its secrets along with him and meet the island residents. On his first day he meets Vera Godwin. She is a beautiful, self-contained young woman who shines in her work as a theatre sister in the leper hospital. Vera is intelligent and efficient. She's also ethical. But there is 'a story' about her. Will their relationship thrive? All the white men in Out of mind are products of Imperial culture and its particular brand of patriarchy. All the women are subject to - and potential casualties of - the same. But the relationships between women willing to support each other, openly or secretly, despite abuse, losses, and societal limitations, make this a strongly feminist novel. In this book, as in her previous novel, Townsend displays great skill in conveying character. Even those who play the smallest role are memorably rounded, realistic characters, but the author's particular skill is the way she puts the reader in Vera's shoes. We see what Vera sees and hear what she hears. There are many people in her life, many incidents and influences, and we weave the strands together as she does. Townsend is a wise and empathetic writer who, with utmost tenderness, tells a human story set in brutal times."--Back cover.
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Out of Mind by South African author Barbara Townsend, tells a story of Robben Island. It is a historic novel, but Townsend gets into the hearts of her characters.
Historically, Robben Island was a secure dumping ground for ‘undesirables'. These people included paupers, chronic sick, those suffering from leprosy: (1846-1931) and mental illness, and, before and afterwards, political prisoners. All of them cruelly banished.
Out of mind is a work of fiction, primarily about the leper colony, in which the author's forbears were involved on the medical staff.
In the year 1908, the British colonial government undertakes a project on Robben Island to plant trees and improve its appearance. This isolated island serves as a place of confinement for individuals with leprosy, as well as an insane asylum and a small convict station, all segregated along racial lines.
The authorities attempt to hide the reprehensible acts occurring on the island, keeping it “out of sight, out of mind” from the people of Cape Town. However, the novel “Out of Mind” focuses on the human aspect rather than politics.
Reggie van Riet, a new senior clerk, arrives on the island and gradually uncovers its secrets alongside the protagonist, Vera Godwin. Vera is a capable and morally upright theater nurse in the leper hospital, but rumors surround her. The story explores the relationships among the characters, particularly the solidarity between women who support each other despite facing abuse, losses, and societal constraints.
The novel is characterized by its strong feminist perspective, with all the white male characters reflecting the influence of imperial culture and patriarchal norms. The author, exhibits great skill in crafting well-developed and realistic characters, with a particular emphasis on immersing readers in Vera's perspective. Despite the harsh historical context, the book compassionately narrates a human story within brutal times.
Sometimes a self-published work is a gem. This one shines. Highly recommended.