so many books, so little time...
The Pursuit of William Abbey ~ Claire North
“I was cursed in Natal, in 1884. Cursed by the truth and by blood. The shadow took to me and we have been together since.”
Part sci-fi, part historical fiction, part thriller. Fully mind-blowing.
William Abbey stands by as a black boy, Langa, is savagely murdered by the ‘civilised’ white men during the British colonisation of South Africa. For his cowardice, Langa’s mother curses Abbey, who becomes a truth-speaker, endlessly pursued by Langa’s shadow. When Langa is near, Abbey is forced to reveal the truth hidden in the hearts of those in his vicinity. When Langa makes contact, someone Abbey loves is killed.
From here-on Abbey is chased around the globe as he attempts to keep a distance between himself and the unyielding shadow of Langa. Whilst on the run, Abbey learns that he is not the only person carrying this curse, and that those in great power would do absolutely anything to own a truth-speaker.
This was such an unusual read. It was complex and sometimes confusing, but extremely gripping.The author covers not just the British colonisation of South Africa and India, but also the discrimination against immigrants in America and the hatred spreading across Europe, all culminating on the front-line in France during the First World War.
At first, I found the slow pace a slight irritation, but soon realised that the pace matched that of Langa, relentlessly traveling over and through any terrain, never stopping, always moving. Since finishing this book, the story has stayed with me, frequently haunting my thoughts, a little like Langa in the pursuit of William Abbey.