The Story of an African Farm

The Story of an African Farm is Olive Schreiner’s landmark novel and a cornerstone of South African literature, set against the stark and beautiful landscape of the Karoo.

First published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron, the novel startled Victorian readers with its bold questioning of religion, gender roles and the social structures of colonial society. At its heart are the intertwined lives of Lyndall and Waldo, kindred spirits united by a shared longing for meaning, freedom and self-realisation.

Through their journeys, Schreiner explores the tensions between duty and desire, belief and doubt, and the restrictions placed on those who dare to imagine a different life.

Deeply personal yet quietly radical, this pioneering novel remains as thought-provoking today as it was at the time of its publication – a powerful meditation on identity, independence and the search for a more authentic way of living.