Ruben Oliver's life is coming adrift from its moorings. He has been obliged to t
ake early retirement from his job as a librarian due to 'rationalisation' and th
e new political realities of South Africa. His wife has died.
One of his sons
has settled in Australia, the other is about to emigrate to Canada while trying
to persuade Ruben that it is too dangerous to remain. The only constants are hi
s old family home, haunted by the ghost of a young slave woman; and his housekee
per, Magrieta, with whom he has a shared history that goes back more than half h
is life. When Tessa Butler comes out of the rain one night in response to an adv
ertisement for a lodger, Ruben is captivated by her.
