Author Description

When Pat Young emigrated to South Africa with her family, she discovered a very different world to the England she had left behind. For an active teenager, a life by the river within reach of the wide African veld was a perfect way to grow up. Pat's letters home to her school friends are filled with sailing parties, dances and trips out with friends and capture the spirit of a happy, carefree existence. Almost half a century later, Pat's detailed letters to her friend Jen are rediscovered and we are allowed a glimpse of her 1950s village existence. Amidst a whirlwind of activity, both in work and play, this young 'rooinek' develops a deep affection for her adoptive country, while never letting go of her fondness for home and the friends who are only a pen-stroke away.