‘We need to feel proud of our origin,’ says debut author

We need to be proud of our roots, says Bernadette Nyman whose debut novel, Life’s Soiled Red Earth, was launched at the Athlone library on Saturday.

The book, published by Austin Macauley Publishers, is about three children torn away from their home during apartheid. They end up in a place far from home, struggling to come to terms with their new surroundings. One of them, Marlene, faces bullying and rejection.

Ms Nyman was born in Claremont in 1961 but grew up in Bokmakierie. She matriculated from Mount View Senior Secondary.

In 2017, she did several courses in creative writing, copy editing and proofreading.

Ms Nyman said she wrote the the book because many were still struggling to find their identity and felt lost.

“Many people, and young people especially, feel that they don’t really belong. We need to be proud of our origin and feel pride not shame.”

She said she had loved reading as a child - sometimes devouring three to four books a day - and she had decided to start writing once her children had grown up.

Her husband, Douglas Kiewet, said his wife’s book reminded him of apartheid’s devastating impact on families and communities.

“I remember how excited she was when we toured the Northern Cape as part of the research for her book and when we arrived at the Catholic missionary convent, which takes centre stage in her book, and dare I say the events at the missionary are beautifully depicted in her book.

Stella Brink, one of Ms Nyman’s former classmates, said had found the book enthralling.

“All of us have a story to tell. This is such an inspiration. Never stop dreaming. You can still follow your dreams no matter what it is,” she said.

Ms Nyman’s daughter, Domelia Kiewet, said, “I hope that everyone enjoys the book and that more will come from her.”