BOOK BITES | Wilbur Smith, Sam Lloyd, Nicky Rowbotham

29 August 2021 - 00:00 By William Saunderson-Meyer, Jessica Levitt and Tiah Beautement
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Wilbur Smith's rollicking 'Legacy of War', Sam Lloyd's nail-biting weekend read, and Nicky Rowbotham's how-to on navigating flow.
Wilbur Smith's rollicking 'Legacy of War', Sam Lloyd's nail-biting weekend read, and Nicky Rowbotham's how-to on navigating flow.
Image: Supplied

Legacy of War ★★★★
Wilbur Smith with David Churchill
Zaffre, R260

SA banned Zambia-born Smith's 1964 first novel, When the Lion Feeds. That alone made it compulsory consumption for an inquisitive schoolboy, and I devoured it secretly by torchlight after lights-out in my primary school boarding establishment. Unfortunately, neither the obscenity nor the blasphemy, the grounds for its banning, met my optimistic expectations, but I nevertheless revelled in the rollicking, African adventure. It's almost six decades later and nothing's changed. Spanning Germany, Kenya and SA immediately after World War 2, Legacy of War traces once more the travails of the Courtney dynasty. Smith is an old-fashioned writer: the villains tend to be beetle-browed and sneeringly brutal; the heroes invariably superior in both manners and visage. On the other hand, this 87-year-old writer navigates the pitfalls of his favourite historical backdrop, colonial Africa - delivering political nuance without woke condescension - with an aplomb that many modern writers would envy. William Saunderson-Meyer @TheJaundicedEye

The Rising Tide ★★★★
Sam Lloyd
Bantam Press, R320

Lucy's life sounds ideal: a gorgeous and devoted husband, two kids who love and look out for one another, and owner of a successful business. But it all comes crashing down the day the family yacht is found adrift. The strongest storm in more than a decade is building, and she can't find her husband. But the worst is still to come. This well-paced thriller does a great job of balancing action with psychological tension. The plot deals its cards with care and without cheap tricks. A nail-biting weekend read. Tiah Beautement @ms_tiahmarie

7 Steps to Finding Flow: Flip the Script on Stress ★★★★
Nicky Rowbotham
Tracey McDonald Publishers, R260

Flow is a term that has recently made its way onto most of our timelines as friends and family now preach the power of finding it. In overly simple terms, it's learning to handle stress and vibing with yourself and others. But how does one get that right?
In this self-help book, readers are taught to understand the reason behind stress, how it impacts the whole being, how to go into a state of flow and create a sense of harmony.
Easier said than done, right? Right! But Rowbotham does an excellent job in simplifying it. From basic daily routines to concise examples of how to achieve the magical seven steps,
the bottom line is really just to start. Each step will count towards growth and flow. If you're battling to contain your stress or don't know where to begin, this book is the place.
Jessica Levitt @jesslevitt


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