Product details
- ISBN 9781035900602
- Weight: 265g
- Dimensions: 122 x 193mm
- Publication Date: 01 Nov 2023
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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The Purple Violet of Oshaantu is the moving story of two ordinary women living in rural Namibia. In exploring tales of their marriages to vastly different men, Neshani Andreas exposes the burdens they
carry and the friendships they must forge in order to survive.
When Ali arrives in the village of Oshaantu, she is met with a cold welcome. Only the young mother next door, Kauna, is willing to truly accept Ali's presence. Kind-hearted and married to an abusive husband, Kauna quickly becomes more than just a neighbour – she becomes a friend, daughter, and someone to mentor.
Disaster strikes when Kauna's husband is suddenly found dead at home, causing the villagers to suspect her of poisoning him. What follows is an emotive account of Kauna's journey into widowhood and Ali's bittersweet reflections on the beliefs and customs of her village.
Beautiful and thoughtfully written, Andreas paints a vibrant picture of friendship and sisterhood in traditional Namibian society.
'A gentle fighter for women's rights, who used her writing as a weapon.' Mariama Bâ
'One of Namibia’s finest post-independence novels.' Erika von Weitersheim
Neshani Andreas was born in Walvis Bay, Namibia, in 1964.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts and a post-graduate diploma in education at the University of Namibia. From 1988 to 1992, Andreas taught at a rural school and was later appointed Associate Director at the US Peace Corps in Namibia.
An active campaigner for women's rights, she was a key member of the Forum for African Women Educationalists of Namibia (FAWENA), an organisation promoting women’s and girls’ education.
Her debut novel, The Purple Violet of Oshaantu was the first novel to be written by a Namibian author in the African Writers Series.
Andreas died in 2011.
