The story of an African farm - Olive Schreiner

The Story of an African Farm was first published in 1883, under the pseudonym Ralph Iron. Only later did it transpire that the author was actually a woman – Olive Schreiner. When the book first appeared it was received with mixed feelings by its Victorian readers, some of whom were shocked by the 'morality' of the author, and felt that it would have been better if the book had never been published. Schreiner's perseverance paid off, and today the novel, set on a farm in the Karoo, is considered important for South African literature, as the beginning of a national literary tradition. This new paperbook edition is introduced by Cherry Clayton.