Marguerite Poland has enchanted thousands
of readers with her children’s novels, written books which are thought-provoking
for readers of all ages, and one cannot forget Abundant Herds, the magnificently illustrated book around her
thesis on Nguni cattle.
Her new book, Taken Captive by Birds, is illustrated by Craig Ivor and is a
reminder of Abundant Herds in terms
of its beauty. But it has a different magic.
As Marguerite Poland writes, “All my life I
have been 'taken captive by birds'. Their doings are the thread that runs
through childhood, the link to people and to place. Their appearance and their
presence can at once recall a name, a scent, a morning full of song and
exploration; an evening sorrow, a childhood fear. For, somehow, it is the birds
that saw it all: those unobtrusive harbingers whose boundaries are defined by
other laws than ours but whose ancient lore remains a cipher to remembrance for
me.” Interwoven with her personal stories are the myths, traditions and
meanings behind birds and their names in Zulu and Xhosa culture.
Taken
Captive by Birds is published by Penguin Books.
(Watch
this space for the review of the impressive publication.)
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