A Gap In The Hedge by Johan Vlok Louw (Umuzi) ISBN: 978-1-4152-0891-5
Karl literally meets himself in an unfamiliar, neglected house. He tries to connect the pieces of the puzzle that seem to be his questionable past and present, as he investigates his new surroundings. Hidden in the deepest crannies of his mind lurks a reality he must face in order to make sense of who he is.
The original, well-planned plot teams with characters so real I was swept into their small-town lives, fears, and hopes a few pages into the novel. Louw’s dialogue has a delightful typical South African ring to it, allowing the reader to partake in the narrative on a deeply intimate level.
The hauntingly sparse, raw style in which the story is written echoes the emptiness and inhospitable desolation of the mining milieu in which it is set. The humanity and unique quality of this read will remain with me for a long time.
Michèle Meyer
4/5
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