The year is 1975. The place - Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.Janice Vorster knows just the sort of man she will never marry - a charming casanova like her father. When she manages to break free from his abusive clutches, seventeen year old Janice, along with her mother and sister, find themselves at the mercy of an Afrikaans farmer and his troubled wife.Employed to care for the couple's wheelchair-bound son, Janice's mother is determined to do all she can to ensure a brighter future for her daughters.André and Kobus Pieterson have always been close, but life on the farm has never been this tough. Caught between the strain of their disabled younger brother's growing needs and their parents' rocky marriage, André focuses all his energy on being the perfect son and student. Kobus, however, with his faith damaged by the suffering of those around him, turns to girls, alcohol and cigarettes.And then they meet Janice. As the brothers vie for the attention of the beautiful blonde living in their family's rondavel, disaster strikes.Janice turns to the one her heart longs for, only to find herself in a desperate situation. Will Kobus be willing to rethink all he believes in order to help the girl he's starting to love? Or will André step up and be the man Janice needs?Janice's Secret is a family drama prequel to Rachel's Blessing, but should be read in sequence. It is not a standalone title, and should by no means be read before Book One.* IMPORTANT WARNING * SENSITIVE SCENESPlease note that this book is set in South Africa during the apartheid regime. The views of the characters in this novel do not reflect the author's views, but they depict an attitude which was common for the majority of white South Africans at the time in which this book is set. The author has chosen not to downplay the suffering of those who were discriminated against, by pretending such racism didn't exist. It is possible and likely that even the most well-meaning, God-fearing people had racist tendencies even if they didn't realise it at the time. It is the author's intention to respect those who suffered under this unequal government by not covering up the injustices of South Africa's turbulent history. To omit racism from this book would be to suggest it didn't happen, thereby rendering a great disservice to those who suffered.
