A young white boy and a Zulu teen grow up together, building an extraordinary friendship as they explore the rugged Drakensberg mountains around a remote South African hotel during the apartheid era.
Jock and Papin forge an indelible bond while learning to love and appreciate each other’s cultures. Despite whispers from intolerant guests, the boys are oblivious to the consequences of their friendship. “There goes the zebra,” guests remark, claiming they can’t tell where the white boy ends and the black boy begins.
But the boys’ friendship is strong enough to conquer all—until society’s impossible expectations wrench them apart, leaving bitter disappointment and soul-deep wounds that will not heal.
A decade later, these long-lost friends converge on opposite sides of a harrowing battlefield, one a reluctant soldier, the other a passionate freedom fighter. Their intimate knowledge of the other’s way of life could be the very tools that save them ... or destroy them. And an unimaginable choice will put Jock and Papin’s once-unbreakable bond to the ultimate test.
Jill Wallace, author of the multi-award-winning World War II novel War Serenade, brings together a fascinating coming-of-age story with a compelling tale of human connection in Zebra.
Inspired by the life of Athol Wallace
Jill Wallace is a born and bred South African who has lived the second half of her life in the USA. Her first book, War Serenade was twice optioned for film; dubbed “A Love Story for The Ages” by New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire; graced with a number of literary awards; and received the Rone for Best Audiobook narrated by Peter Noble.Her second novel Zebra is inspired by her husband’s incredible life.Jill’s books are inevitably South African flavored, and though classified as historical fiction, they’re as relevant today as ever. Their universal content is likely to appeal to anyone who has a heart. Learn more about this author at www.JillWallace.com
Peter Noble is an experienced audiobook narrator. Born in South Africa, he was dragged by hippie musicians from his idyllic childhood, where he ran barefoot through rich and matted grass with his dog Bartok, to vegetarian communes from California to India via Lisbon, London, and Findhorn. He picked up a wide range of authentic local accents and character voices along the way.