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You Will Be Safe Here cover art

You Will Be Safe Here

By: Damian Barr
Narrated by: Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo
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Summary

An Observer, Financial Times and Guardian Pick for 2019.

The brilliant debut novel from the award-winning author of Maggie & Me.  

South Africa, 1901, the height of the second Boer War. Sarah van der Watt and her son are taken from their farm by force to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp where, the English promise, they will be safe.  

Johannesburg, 2010. Sixteen-year-old outsider Willem just wants to be left alone with his books and his dog. Worried he’s not turning out right, his ma and her boyfriend send him to New Dawn Safari Training Camp. Here they ‘make men out of boys’. Guaranteed.  

You Will Be Safe Here is a deeply moving novel of connected parts. Inspired by real events, it uncovers a hidden colonial history and present-day darkness while exploring our capacity for cruelty and kindness.

©2019 Damian Barr (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

Critic reviews

"Powerful." (Maggie O'Farrell) 

"Devastating." (Garth Greenwell) 

"Beautiful." (Jojo Moyes)  

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What listeners say about You Will Be Safe Here

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Superb, brutal. Must read

My only caveat would be that book is two stories in one and sags dramatically at the beginning of the second part. It could have done with a robust edit at this stage to keep readers interested. Secondly there are point of view jumps mid scene where the author jumps into the head of another character. This is disconcerting and a bit surprising for an author as well known as Barr. It is probably the playwriter in the author coming out. An editor should have sorted that. But do read and persist through the sag in the middle. Warning. It is shocking and brutal. I do highly recommend but you need to be in a robust mood.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a journey!

Having grown up part of my life in South Africa, this book intrigued me. We emigrated to South Africa in 1983 in the thick of apartheid lured there by the promise of opportunity after my Dad’s career imploded in the UK thanks to Thatcher’s policy on manufacturing.

Some of this is the history that I learnt (Boer War and concentration camps) and some of it I’ve seen growing up. Listening to this book made me feel so many emotions, it’s an amazing story and the author ties all the parts together so beautifully.

If I had one small complaint it would be the Afrikaans accent on the boer war/concentration part there is too much emphasis on rolling R’s and putting them in places where they’re not needed. Also Geldenhuys’s name in the last part changed a few times to Geeldenhuys which was a bit annoying. It should rhyme with gel but not with reel phonetically. Other than that a really good performance from the narrator and an astoundingly heartfelt novel that I related to so very much.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Astonishing, informative, and beautifully read

This novelisation of real events in South Africa in two eras is constantly absorbing and is enhanced by the reading which uses accents well and accurately.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Illuminating and clever narrative

A sad but extremely compelling read illuminating one aspect of South Africa’s complex history, that of the legacy of the boer war and how the savage British behaviour echoes through to the present day. And apart from the history it is a clever and engaging story.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • 11-07-23

Great story

Loved it a story full of history that not many of us are aware of.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

compelling, moving and informative

I thought the performance was brilliant, I was completely absorbed. Well written story with interesting characters.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing audio book I really enjoyed it.

amazing audiobook the writing and Performance are incredible. historically interesting and well worth a listen

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent

It was fascinating. Part of history I was unaware of. Terrible that such things continue today

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Not a light or enjoyable read

A dark reflection on the 2nd Anglo Boer war and how concentration camps caused a perpetual inheritance of abuse and bigotry

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