THE SILENT struggles of three friends navigating daily life are beautifully captured in the latest offering by author Rozaan de Wet Boer. Her second book, “Is Jy Orraait, Elizabeth?”, draws inspiration from her own experiences as a mother to a son living with disabilities.

De Wet Boer, a former learner of Diamantveld High School, said that while the characters in the book are fictional, parts of it are based on her own life.

“The book tells the story of three female friends who have to deal with the daily struggles they face as women, mothers and wives. The story plays off in Somerset West. In the book, one of the characters is dealing with a teenager who has an eating disability, the other one is dealing with a cheating husband, and the third has a child who has Down syndrome,” she explained.

“The main character is partially based on my own life and personal experience as my own son has Down syndrome. The main character is also married to a surgeon.

“I touch on the various challenges I had to deal with, being the parent of a child who is living with a disability. Many people exclude people who are living with disabilities. From a very young age, I had to fight to acquire the basic necessities for my child - like my son attending a school. Some people also stare at him when they see him in public. Like anyone else would, my son used to feel ashamed and not understand why people would stare at him. I had to reassure him that the problem was not with him, but rather with those who were staring at him.”

De Wet Boer shared that she completed the book within a year, but its release was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beyond highlighting the struggles faced by the characters, De Wet Boer said the book also emphasises the lessons learned along the way.

“The journey we had with our son was not easy. Most parents want to hide their children or are ashamed if their children have Down syndrome. This book highlights the support and assistance all the characters gave each other when they were going through these challenges. Through this book, I not only wanted to tell the story of my son but also spread awareness about disability.

“My son is currently 35 years old and he has over the years become a companion to me, as we spent so much time together. As a mother and human being, he has taught me how to take critique with grace. I have much more patience and do not stress about the minor things, which some people might regard as a major problem,” she said with a chuckle.

De Wet Boer, who is married to former Kimberley surgeon Dr Piet Boer, said she hoped that readers, and not only women, would discover the inner strength they might not have known they had.

“We all face different challenges in life. This book is my testimony that even through adversity, one is able to come out victorious. One has to, however, do the work, and with a strong support system, you are guaranteed to win the battle if you don’t give up,” she said.

De Wet Boer said she will host a book launch at Bargain Books in the Diamond Pavilion Mall in Kimberley in March.