Bitches' brew

Joint winner of the EU Literary Award 2006"e;Fred Khumalo weaves magical realism into turbulent township life in this story about passion, rage and identity in apartheid South Africa. "e; - Janet Heard, FeminaBra Zakes, a former amateur musician, bootlegger, extortionist, mercenary and killer of great repute, lies dying in his luxurious villa hidden away in the undulating hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. At his bedside are his most trusted lieutenants, waiting for instructions on what to do with his crime syndicate once he is gone. Interweaving history and memories in the tradition of village storytellers, Bitches' Brew delves into the physical and emotional turbulence that characterise the lives and affairs of Bra Zakes and Lettie as they relive the stories and experiences of their lives to reveal character, conflict, principle and, of course, love. Written with humour and poignancy, Bitches' Brew conjures up the South Africa of the twentieth century with vivid accuracy as seen through the eyes of two irrepressible and adventurous characters.Bitches' Brew is a dramatic and powerful masterpiece that conveys the turbulent revelations of character with a complexity that is both absorbing and incredibly touching.