
How is it that an otherwise supremely talented author would choose to write a book about a character nobody could ever love? I understand cranky people. And the chronically pessimistic. I have my moments, probably more than my share. But Deidre van Deventer, the protagonist of Karen Jennings’ novel, Crooked Seeds, is the most detestable character I’ve ever encountered in literary fiction other than a handful of Nazis. Of course, she’s got a lot to complain about. A family home seized by the post-apartheid government. And a stump for a leg lost in an explosion. But she complains nonstop. And she constantly demands favors from her compliant neighbors. Without ever having lifted a finger to help herself. Or said thank you to anyone. Even refusing a prosthetic to gain mobility. Why, then, did I sit through more than 200 pages of Deidre’s whining and demands? It’s a puzzle.
Those memories hide in South Africa’s history
So, what was that explosion that took Deidre’s leg? And how did she ever get to be so disagreeable? If there’s any suspense in this novel, it lies mostly in those questions. And, most puzzling of all, what exactly did her older brother do in the toolshed, and where is he now? Of course, there are other issues, including why she refuses to visit her dying mother in the hospital, or her adopted daughter, who’s living in London and will send her airplane tickets.
Some of the answers eventually come to light when a police constable shows up at Deidre’s door and asks her to identify some items retrieved from the site where her childhood home had stood. But to understand what’s really going on, you need to know a little about the history of South Africa in the mid-1990s after Nelson Mandela gained the presidency and apartheid receded into the past. If you know what I’m talking about, you’ll get the point of the book. If not, you’ll need a primer. So, ignore what follows if you’re familiar with the country’s history.
Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings (2024) 219 pages ★★★☆☆
Here’s what’s going on
In 1990, following lengthy negotiations, the white-only, apartheid government of South Africa under Frederik Willem de Klerk released Nelson Mandela from prison. A Black nationalist leader, Mandela had served in prison for sabotage, treason, and conspiracy since 1964. He was world-famous, the hero of anti-apartheid activists everywhere (yours truly included). In years of subsequent negotiations between de Klerk and Mandela, the government agreed to repeal the apartheid laws and allow popular democratic elections. Mandela won the contest hands down in 1994 and served in the post for five years, handing over the reins to a successor from his political party, the African National Congress (ANC).
Terror reigned in Black neighborhoods in South Africa under the apartheid regime. Thousands died, targeted by police and paramilitary squads answerable to the government. Mandela’s ANC only took up the gun when the level of violence had become widespread and intolerable. And when Mandela gained the presidency in 1994, a wave of optimism swept through the country. Unfortunately, the expectations of South Africa’s millions of Black citizens were far greater than anything the government could have delivered. And Mandela’s successors proved far less capable—and eventually far less honest.
About the author
Karen Jennings was born in 1982 in Cape Town, South Africa. Her parents were teachers, her mother Afrikaans, her father English. She holds master’s degrees in English literature and creative writing from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in creative writing from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is pursuing a second PhD from the University of Johannesburg, this one in history. Jennings is married to a Brazilian scientist.
For related reading
I’ve reviewed two other novels set in South Africa, both of them excellent (unlike this one):
- The Promise by Damon Galgut (A South African saga spanning four decades), which won the Booker Prize
- The Mandela Plot by Kenneth Bonert (A gripping novel about the anti-apartheid struggle)
For other engrossing works of fiction, see:
- 20 excellent standalone mysteries and thrillers
- 25 most enlightening historical novels
- Top 10 historical mysteries and thrillers
And you can always find my most popular reviews, and the most recent ones, on the Home Page.