Blue Aloes: Stories of South Africa

"Blue Aloes: Stories of South Africa" by Cynthia Stockley is a collection of short stories that plunges into the heart of South Africa, exploring love, grief, and the lingering echoes of yesterday in a small, tight-knit community. In the opening tale, "The Strange Story of a Karoo Farm," readers meet Christine Chaine, a governess stepping into the disquieting world of the van Cannan family at Blue Aloes farm, tasked with caring for their three children. The story kicks off with a chilling night, where Christine is startled by mysterious taps at her window, a sound that underscores the strange atmosphere pervading every corner of this old Karoo farm. As she unravels the farm's grim history— marked by the tragic deaths of two van Cannan children—Christine feels the weight of her duty to protect their surviving son, Roderick. Caught between the mother's lighthearted nature and the dark secrets shrouding the family, Christine finds herself at the center of a psychologically charged narrative where innocence clashes with hidden terrors amidst the backdrop of rural South Africa.