An Moment in the Wind by Andre Brink

An Moment in the Wind is possibly André Brink’s masterpiece. Under the guise of a historical novel set in the 18th century, Brink presents a magnificent miniature portrait of the dilemmas and contradictions facing a South Africa organized by an apartheid takeover. However, unlike many stories of conflict, Instant In The Wind is not a tragedy. Unusually, the novel is a remarkable story of fear, struggle, and eventual survival that leaves the reader with a positive and inspiring message about the value and potential of human cooperation. It is a historical novel, it is a travel book, it is a road story, it deals with the relationships between consenting adults and there are various battles with nature. And it is positive. What mix!

The story revolves around just two people who have unknowingly gotten together. For most of the book’s duration, there is literally no one else in sight as the two protagonists wander through deserted landscapes in search of safety and ultimately themselves. This is Elisabeth Larssen, née Louw, from the Cape. Elisabeth is married to a Swedish traveler, adventurer, and aspiring scientist named Erik Alexis Larssen. Erik is a bearded and rather myopic fact chaser. He wants to catalog things, usually from afar, an approach that he applies to his relationship with his wife. The husband is considerably older than the wife and their communication is not deep, their mutual understanding is even more superficial.

The other, the ‘he’ of the story, is Adam Mantoor, a runaway slave, a black man, or even a dark man perhaps, but definitely not a white man. And therefore, according to the customs in which Elizabeth has been raised, he is not even a man, but he could be something fearsome. He has a past that is partially revealed. Surely there is a story to tell about this life, but he is unwilling, or perhaps unable, to tell it. However, what he is capable of is crucial to André Brink’s story: he can survive.

And so, when Larsson sets out on his desired expedition of planned discovery inland beyond the Cape, he must organize the transportation and transportation of much of the movable property, the inventory of which is known to include his wife. Elisabeth is used to domestic life and fears what may happen to them in what she considers to be a desert. How will you manage? Probably none too good.

The expedition did not progress as planned. There were infighting, robberies and attacks. And then Erik Larssen disappeared without a trace, leaving Elisabeth in the desert alone with a man she considered a savage, a runaway slave of a different race. Inevitably their plight forced them to network, but initially Elisabeth seems to assume that the relationships that belong to “civilized” society could be maintained. You have a lot to learn. The road ahead to safety is dauntingly long, and they only have each other for support. The road is long, confusing and dangerous. There are hostile people and wild animals, plus some unwelcoming farms. There are rivers to wade, deserts to cross, mountains to climb, little water and less food.

Elisabeth initially rebels against Adam. She is terrified of him and he is deeply suspicious, even afraid of her. But your knowledge is critical to your survival. She wants to go back to the Cape, but a miscarriage and illness complicate things. He fears what might happen to him if he returns to the Cape, because there are unfinished business surrounding this man. Together they fight, survive and gradually learn to live together and then depend on each other.

An instant in the wind is not a historical tale. Facts are non-existent about real people, but their imagined story sounds more than just plausible, and their telling is sheer delight. In some places, the reader almost feels thirst and hunger, and perceives all the dangers. Likewise, Elisabeth and Adam’s growing ecstasy also becomes almost tangible as they realize, their seemingly separate races, that their humanity is shared.

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