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Shades by Marguerite Poland is an acclaimed South African historical novel set in the Eastern Cape at the turn of the twentieth century, a period marked by profound political, social and cultural upheaval. This Penguin edition was published in Cape Town in 2012 and is identified as the fourth edition. The paperback runs to approximately 402 pages.
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Shades by Marguerite Poland is an acclaimed South African historical novel set in the Eastern Cape at the turn of the twentieth century, a period marked by profound political, social and cultural upheaval. This Penguin edition was published in Cape Town in 2012 and is identified as the fourth edition. The paperback runs to approximately 402 pages.
Set primarily around the isolated St Matthias Mission in 1902, the novel follows a community caught between cultures, religions and competing visions of South Africa’s future. Poland places her characters against the backdrop of the South African War, drought, the rinderpest pandemic, the expanding gold-mining industry and the increasingly exploitative system of migrant labour.
At the centre of the story is Walter Brownley, whose experiences at the mission become intertwined with the Farborough family and the wider conflicts surrounding them. The novel examines relationships between missionaries, settlers and the amaXhosa, while exploring the tensions between Christianity and traditional spiritual beliefs.
Poland’s historical setting is not simply background. The political and economic changes taking place across South Africa steadily penetrate the intimate world of the mission, threatening established relationships and traditions. The novel considers questions of identity, faith, belonging, cultural understanding and dispossession, giving its historical narrative considerable emotional depth.
The story also explores the emergence of a politically and spiritually conscious black mission-educated elite, whose ideas challenge the assumptions of colonial society. This combination of personal drama and broader historical context makes Shades particularly appealing to readers interested in South African history and literature.
Marguerite Poland is an award-winning South African author whose novels include Train to Doringbult, Iron Love, Recessional for Grace and The Keeper. Shades was shortlisted for the M-Net Literary Award and has subsequently been recognised as one of her significant works of historical fiction.
For readers interested in South African historical fiction, colonial-era history, Eastern Cape culture and the complex relationships between different communities during a formative period, Shades offers a richly atmospheric and thoughtful literary experience.
