Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases: Seventeen Short Stories by Perceval Gibbon
"Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases: Seventeen Short Stories" by Perceval Gibbon is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The collection features the character of Vrouw Grobelaar, a formidable matriarch of a Boer family, who narrates tales filled with moral lessons, folklore, and cultural reflections from her life on the South African frontier. Through her stories, Gibbon explores themes of morality, human and racial dynamics, love, and
conflict within colonial contexts. The opening of the book introduces Vrouw Grobelaar as a commanding figure respected for her lineage and wealth. She is portrayed as a fixed point in her bustling household, surrounded by grandchildren and Kafirs, whom she governs with an iron hand, albeit with underlying affection. The narrative sets the stage for her storytelling, where she shares fables that invoke the cultural heritage of the Boers, such as tales involving familial and moral conflicts that reflect the harsh realities of life on the frontier. Among her relatives, young Katje stands out, expressing youthful desires and challenges to Vrouw Grobelaar. The old lady’s stories reveal the complexities of human nature, often punctuated by the local magic and beliefs that shape their lives. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases: Seventeen Short Stories
Contents
Unto the third generation -- The dream-face -- The avenger of blood -- The hands of the pitiful woman -- Piet Naude's trek -- Like unto like -- Counting the colors -- The king of the baboons -- Morder Drift -- A good end -- Vasco's sweetheart -- The Peruvian -- Tagalash -- The home kraal -- The sacrifice -- The coward -- Her own story.
Credits
Produced by Charles Klingman
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 88.0 (6th grade). Easy to read.
