Unfeeling — Ian Holding

Set against the backdrop of a post-independent African country during the notorious farm attacks, Unfeeling is a powerful narrative that captures the moral, political and social complexity of a nation torn apart by violence.

Sixteen-year-old Davey Baker is in the attic when the militia comes to Edenfields to ?reclaim? his family?s farm. Locked in shock, he witnesses the brutal murder of both his parents. The neighbouring farmers, Mike and Marsha De Wet?his parents? closest friends?take him in and try to care for him. They look to cope, like their people have always done. But Davey is on a different path. One night he escapes from school and embarks on a harrowing journey across Africa, eventually coming home to Edenfields Farm, searching for redemption.

Shortlisted for the 2006 Dylan Thomas Prize, Unfeeling is a triumphant debut from a promising new writer.

Praise for Unfeeling:

?I was very affected by Unfeeling. I think this is a wonderful first novel? The book is so brilliantly constructed and well written that I couldn?t put it down. The story is harrowing, but not without humour, and the descriptions of the country are beautiful.? ?Alma Lee, Vancouver International Writers Festival, in The Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year.

?Unfeeling, by Ian Holding, is a stunning first novel recommended to me by one of our best booksellers. It?s a moving story told from the perspective of a 15-year-old white African who witnesses the murder of his parents as their lands are being confiscated by black thugs.? ?Heather Reisman, CEO Chapters/Indigo, in The Globe and Mail Best Books of the Year

?Riveting.? ?The Times

?One of the season?s best books.? ?Newsweek (UK)

?Remarkable ? the novel?s construction is a tour de force, a kind of narrative corkscrew ? gripping.? ?Sunday Independent (South Africa)

?Holding shows us one corner of this tragic landscape with a raw intensity that mocks his title?. Unfeeling compels attention for the crackling anguish of its mood and the rustling grace of its scenery.? ?Independent