12 | BOOKS
WINE & DINE
16 October 2019
Put on your hiking boots Jan Bronkhorst, who recently published a handy and informative guide for visitors to Fernkloof Nature Reserve entitled Walks & Hikes in Fernkloof Hermanus, jokingly admits that “to say I am hooked on hiking and fynbos is an understatement”. The 128-page book comes in a user-friendly, soft-cover format that could easily be slipped into a small bag. It is broken up into various sections with colourful maps and photographs, detailing every route available to hikers in the southern, western, eastern and northern regions of Fernkloof, as well as the coastal cliff path. Clearly an experienced hiker himself, Jan provides handy information that includes the length of each hike, the estimated time it will take to complete, the elevation, type of route and fitness grading. Jan says it took more than a year to map all
the paths – and the design even longer, as he did everything himself except for the actual printing. It was a real labour of love and is a great asset to all visitors to Fernkloof. Although he lives in Calitzdorp, Jan's family has a holiday house in Onrus and he’s been visiting Hermanus since the 1960s. It was during these annual holidays that his love of hiking in the mountains and among the fynbos took root. “It happened quite often that I came upon walkers in Fernkloof who needed information and directions. The available map from the Hermanus Botanical Society was a great help, but it lacked the detail that visitors needed in order to plan their route. That’s when I decided to start working on this book.”
What’s new in review
Copies of the book are available at only R200. They can be ordered from Jan Bronkhorst by contacting him on 083 698 0154 or bronkhorst.jan@gmail.com. Copies are also available locally from Hartmuth Mildner on 072 369 9748 or purelywood@gmail.com. Banking details: S Bronkhorst, Capitec, Acc 1289120771.
Compiled by Hedda Mittner
Penguin Random House
Chatto & Windus
In the bestselling, prize-winning A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson achieved the seemingly impossible by making the science of our world both understandable and entertaining to millions of people around the globe. Now he turns his attention inwards to explore the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, The Body: A Guide for Occupants is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up. This book will have you marvelling at the form you occupy, and celebrating the genius of your existence, time and time again. – goodreads.com
In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalised readers for decades. When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her – freedom, prison or death. With The Testaments, the wait is over. Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story more than 15 years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. According to the author, everything her readers have asked her about Gilead and its inner workings was the inspiration for this book. “The other inspiration is the world we've been living in." – goodreads.com
Zaffre
Hamish Hamilton
From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience. Cilka is just 16 when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is. When the war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. Confronting death and terror daily, Cilka discovers a strength she never knew she had when she begins to tend to the ill in the camp, forming bonds and relationships in this harsh, new reality. – amazon.com
We spend years in school learning facts and figures but the one thing we're never taught is how to live a fulfilled life. That's why we need The School of Life – a real organisation founded a decade ago by writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, whose earlier books include the delightful Essays in Love, The Consolations of Philosophy, and The Art of Travel. The School of Life has one simple aim: to equip people with emotional intelligence – the most important tool for surviving and thriving in the modern world. With all the trademark wit and elegance of Alain de Botton's other writings, and rooted in practical, achievable advice, it show us a path to the better lives we all want and deserve. – penguin.co.uk
Jonathan Ball
Penguin Random House
‘Next year I’m going to be 80 years old. My car will be 20 years old. Together we’ll be 100. We’re going to drive to London.’ When octogenarian Julia Albu calls into her favourite radio show with this zany, half-baked idea, she has no idea that it will lead her to the adventure of a lifetime. With her trusty old Toyota Conquest, Tracy, a giant map and unbounded enthusiasm, Julia sets off on the long drive from the Cape to Cairo – through deserts, over mountains and across grassy plains – and into the UK, where she hopes to meet the Queen of England. Along the way, she meets a host of colourful characters (human and animal). My African Conquest is a funny, feelgood story about adventuring through life – and never acting your age. – jonathanball.co.za
The beloved author Peter Mayle, is back with a final volume of vivid recollections from his 25 years in the South of France – lessons learned, culinary delights enjoyed, and changes observed. It all started when Mayle and his wife, Jennie, were rained out of a planned two weeks on the Côte d'Azur and, in search of sunlight, they set off for Aix-en-Provence. Enchanted by the world they found there, they soon decided to uproot their lives in England and settle in Provence. They have never looked back and, although modern life may have seeped into sleepy Provence, its magic remains. This thoughtful, humorous and vivid exploration of life well-lived, à la Provence, will charm long-time fans and a new generation of readers alike. – penguinrandomhouse.co.za
NOW AVAILABLE FROM
The village bookshop with a city selection
Station Square Hermanus 028 313 0834
