The hill

Set in a Drakensberg boarding school in the early 1980s, this eerily realistic novel examines San mythology through an 11-year-old boy's unusual bond with nature and the supernatural. Haunted by dreams of creatures conjured by his culture's mythology and encouraged by the enthusiastic teachings of an overly friendly school teacher, Andrew makes the Hill his retreat. Seeking solace, his trips to the Hill turn into a real-life nightmare as his mentor uses the area's isolation and his student's trust as an opportunity for abuse. A fusion of boyhood innocence, ancient lore, and the harsh reality of adult life, love, and betrayal, this haunting tale of obsession and trauma is at times both heartwarming and achingly sad.

A fusion of boyhood innocence, ancient lore and the harsh reality of adult life, love and betrayal. The Hill is at times hauntingly realistic, a story with which many can identify - achingly sad and heart-warming by turns.A fusion of boyhood innocence, ancient lore and the harsh reality of adult life, love and betrayal. The Hill is at times hauntingly realistic, a story with which many can identify - achingly sad and heart-warming by turns. Set in a boarding school in the Drakensberg in the early '80s it tells the tale of an 11-year-old boy with an unusual bond with nature and the supernatural. Haunted by dreams of creatures conjured by San mythology and encouraged by the enthusiastic teachings of an over-friendly school teacher. Excluded from his home, Andrew makes this his new home. He is popular and somewhat of a daredevil but will escape to the surrounding bush at any opportunity to explore and listen to nature's teachings. Until a shadow falls, darkening his new life too. Afraid and unsure of how to cope he withdraws from the web being spun around him and seeks solace among the ancient figures of the caves. This exploration of blurred boundaries, overturned trust and child abuse would be sad were it not for AndrewAs emotional resourcefulness. Higginson weaves a tale of obsession and trauma that will haunt you long after you have read the final page.