The Story of an African Farm (1883) is a novel by South African
political activist and writer Olive Schreiner. Her first published
novel, The Story of an African Farm was a bestseller upon its release
despite being criticized for its portrayal of controversial social,
religious, and political themes. Part Bildungsroman, part philosophical
fiction, the novel is recognized as a groundbreaking work for its
exploration of feminism, atheism, and the influence of British
imperialism on the peoples of South Africa.
Split into three sections, the novel begins with the childhood of its
three main characters. Waldo, the son of the German farm-keeper Otto, is
an intelligent and introspective boy who struggles with his religious
faith and attempts to understand himself in relation to the order of the
universe. Lyndall is a deeply philosophical thinker who strives toward
independence and resists the gender norms imposed upon her by adults and
others who would try to control her. Em, Lyndall's cousin, is a friendly
girl who tends to believe others without questioning authority or
intention. When an English businessman named Bonaparte Blenkins arrives
at the farm looking for work, the children begin to suffer under his
cruelly selective verbal and psychological abuse. As Blenkins attempts
to position himself for control of Tant Sannie's farm, the children gain
an informal education in treachery and the dynamics of power, disrupting
their seemingly idyllic life in rural South Africa. The novel follows
Waldo, Lyndall, and Em into adulthood, tracing their lives through their
changing opinions towards romance, faith, and gender while illuminating
the love that binds them despite their differences.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm is a
classic of South African literature reimagined for modern readers.
