Fiela Se Kind

Fiela se Kind (translated as Fiela’s Child) by Dalene Mathee is a poignant and powerful Afrikaans novel that tells a gripping story about identity, family, and racial divides in early 20th-century South Africa. The novel is set in the Knysna forests, a region in the Western Cape, and explores the complexities of race and belonging in a deeply divided society.

The story follows Lukas, a young boy who is found abandoned in the forest by Fiela Komoetie, a white woman of mixed descent. Fiela raises Lukas as her own, and he grows up in her household in the remote coastal region, part of a close-knit, mixed-race community. However, when Lukas is about eight years old, he is taken away by the authorities after a white family claims him as their lost son, who had been presumed dead. The family insists that Lukas is actually their biological child, a white boy named Benjamin, who had disappeared years earlier.

This leads to a dramatic and emotional journey for Lukas, who is torn between two worlds: the family and community he knows and loves, and the one that now claims him under a different identity. Throughout the novel, Lukas struggles to reconcile the different parts of his identity while navigating the harsh realities of racial classification in South Africa’s apartheid system.

Fiela se Kind is a touching exploration of the human desire for love, belonging, and acceptance. Through the lens of Lukas’s journey, the novel critiques the social structures that define and limit people’s lives based on race. Dalene Mathee’s lyrical writing brings to life the dramatic landscapes of Knysna and the emotional turmoil that comes with the search for one’s true identity.

The novel is not only a family saga but also a sharp commentary on the consequences of racial prejudice and the enduring bonds that can exist beyond societal boundaries. Fiela se Kind remains a beloved classic in Afrikaans literature, celebrated for its emotional depth, rich characters, and the sensitive treatment of racial and social issues.