Frank and moving account of a woman and her family trying to heal and make amends

Above all, 'Under the Camelthorn Tree' is an inspiring account of family love, and a powerful beacon of hope for life after trauma

24 May 2019 - 11:00 By jonathan ball publishers
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
'Under the Camelthorn Tree' is a powerfully written, raw and often warmly funny memoir.
'Under the Camelthorn Tree' is a powerfully written, raw and often warmly funny memoir.
Image: Jonathan Ball Publishers

'The book deserves great success' – Richard Dawkins

Kate Nicholls left England to raise her five children in Botswana: an experience that would change each of their lives.

Living on a shoestring in a lion conservation camp, Kate homeschools her family while they also learn at first-hand about the individual lives of wild lions.

Their deep attachment to these magnificent animals is palpable. The setting is exotic, but it is also precarious.

When the author is subjected to a brutal attack by three men, it threatens to destroy her and her family: post-traumatic stress turns a good mother into a woman who is fragmented and out of control.

In this powerfully written, raw and often warmly funny memoir, we witness the devastation of living with a mother whose resilience is almost broken, and how familial structures shift as the children mature and roles change.

Under the Camelthorn Tree addresses head-on the many issues surrounding motherhood, education, independence and the natural world; and highlights the long-lasting effect of gender violence on secondary victims.

Above all, it is an inspiring account of family love, and a powerful beacon of hope for life after trauma.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now