This is one of those hidden gems that makes random used-book-sale buying worthwhile. Fiela’s Child is so good that I’m surprised it isn’t more widely read (the creepy 80s cover might have something to do with it).The book revolves around two families in nineteenth-century South Africa. The Van Rooyens, a white family, live in the dense Forest near the southern coast, where the husband, Elias, turns trees into beams and dreams of striking it rich by killing an elephant. The Komoeties, a black family, live in the arid Kloof on the other side of the mountains, where the wife, Fiela, runs a farm and raises ostriches for their feathers. In 1865, the Van Rooyens’ 3-year-old son disappears. That same year, an unknown 3-year-old boy appears on Fiela’s doorstep; she takes him in and raises him as her own. Nine years later, census-takers discover the boy and try to return him to his “rightful” family. The novel follows the boy, his identity crisis, and both families for nearly two decades.
Fiela’s Child had me enthralled from the beginning. The plot is fascinating: what happens when a biological family and an adoptive family both claim the same child? The novel is less about race, and more about family and identity, than I expected, and I could see both sides of the conflict. The Van Rooyens can claim legal parentage, but can offer their son little in the way of love or economic opportunity; the Komoeties give him both, but Fiela’s actions aren’t entirely aboveboard--she makes only a token effort to find the foundling’s real parents and hides him at home.
The myriad details of daily living bring the setting and the families to life. There’s a very strong sense of place, with great atmosphere and descriptions. The book is also full of ostriches and elephants, which I loved! Both dangerous creatures, about which I learned quite a bit. There are subtle environmental themes as well--while never explicitly discussed, it’s clear that the forest-dwellers’ lifestyle is built on destruction, and progress is a double-edged sword. The writing is quite good, with lots of dialogue, and although originally written in Afrikaans, the book did not feel like a translation (apparently the author is bilingual and translated it herself).
The character development, while not the best I’ve seen, is more than adequate, the family relationships are complex and well-developed and the culture is very much brought to life. I especially enjoyed the way the author shows us aspects of their psyches that don’t make much sense to a modern reader--the forest people’s fear of entering the village, for instance.
My biggest problem is the twist at the end that makes the book’s conflict much simpler and less interesting, as well as a rather creepy relationship that develops toward the end. Suddenly we're told the boy was never the Van Rooyens' son at all, and he gets involved with his little sister. Even if they now aren't related by blood--in which case, the conflict really isn't that interesting because the Van Rooyens now have nothing going for them--it still seems incestuous to me; they thought they were siblings for years. Overall, though, I enjoyed Fiela's Child and would read more from this author.