Agaat
Agaat by Marlene Van Niekerk, published by Tin House Books on April 27, 2010, is a literary work that explores the complex relationship between Milla, a 67-year-old white woman, and her black maidservant turned caretaker, Agaat, set against the backdrop of apartheid South Africa. This edition spans 630 pages and is presented in English, offering readers a deep dive into Milla’s life through flashbacks and diary entries that reveal her past and the changes in her family and country over four decades.
Readers will find a narrative that intricately weaves themes of love and family loyalty, as Milla reflects on her life as a young farmer’s wife in the 1950s and the subsequent unraveling of her family. The story captures the tensions and transformations of a society on the brink of change, all while highlighting the bond between Milla and Agaat. With its haunting and lyrical prose, Agaat invites readers to engage with the emotional landscape of its characters and the historical context in which they exist.
Official synopsis Publisher
Set in apartheid South Africa, Agaat portrays the unique relationship between Milla, a 67-year-old white woman, and her black maidservant turned caretaker, Agaat. Through flashbacks and diary entries, the reader learns about Milla’s past. Life for white farmers in 1950s South Africa was full of promise — young and newly married, Milla raised a son and created her own farm out of a swathe of Cape mountainside. Forty years later her family has fallen apart, the country she knew is on the brink of huge change, and all she has left are memories and her proud, contrary, yet affectionate guardian. With haunting, lyrical prose, Marlene Van Niekerk creates a story of love and family loyalty. Winner of the South African Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2007, Agaat was translated as The Way of the Women by Michiel Heyns, who received the Sol Plaatje Award for his translation.
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