The Hill

Set in a Drakensberg boarding school in the early 1980s, this eerily realistic novel examines San mythology through an 11-year-old boy's unusual bond with nature and the supernatural. Haunted by dreams of creatures conjured by his culture's mythology and encouraged by the enthusiastic teachings of an overly friendly school teacher, Andrew makes the Hill his retreat. Seeking solace, his trips to the Hill turn into a real-life nightmare as his mentor uses the area's isolation and his student's trust as an opportunity for abuse. A fusion of boyhood innocence, ancient lore, and the harsh reality of adult life, love, and betrayal, this haunting tale of obsession and trauma is at times both heartwarming and achingly sad.