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Crossing the Vaal

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Crossing the Vaal

By: Archie Vincent
Narrated by: Melanie Fraser
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About this listen

In South Africa, the Vaal River divides Theo, the English sugar plantation owner, from Lizzie, the Dutch orphan girl he finds in the Transvaal. When the second war between the Cape Colony and the Boers breaks out, Theo and Lizzie are on opposite sides. Theo is bound to do what Cecil orders, and Lizzie is promised to Louis, the Boer leader. Without his mistress Vala and his friend Harish, all could be lost when Theo crosses the Vaal.

©2015 Archie Vincent (P)2015 Archie Vincent
20th Century Adventure Historical Historical Fiction Science Fiction
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Most relevant

What made the experience of listening to Crossing the Vaal the most enjoyable?

Melanie Fraser's clear tone of voice made this most enjoyable. She was able to add appropriate accents to the characters which reflected the setting and highlighted the various nationalities.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I found the historical references to the treatment of women during the Anglo-Boer War to be very interesting. It has inspired me to read up more on the social history of this time period.
I also liked the author's vivid descriptions of the landscape and the people in it. Having never been to South Africa, the descriptions helped me paint a picture of the setting in my head.

What does Melanie Fraser bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

For a short story, there are a lot of characters. I was able to keep all the players clear in my head because of the way the narrator differentiates between them with tone of voice and accent.

A short, historical romance.

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