Fiction: The Unravelling of Ingrid Steele

Running a successful rose-growing business with her mother-in-law feels to Ingrid like the ideal career until a dark secret from her husband's past rips through the family's peaceful world.

Ingrid sets out to find answers, not dreaming where the journey will take her. Fancy restaurants and health spas give way to the sordid history of apartheid South Africa, which brings her back to her husband Warren, his parents, and the deep-rooted deception of the whole town.

In the face of such betrayal, and taking into account her two teenage daughters, Ingrid must make the hardest decision of her life or lose her only hope of happiness.

When I wrote this novel back in 2005, South Africa was in the early days of its democracy. Everyone was making big adjustments; some of them willingly and some under duress. I was undergoing a different sort of disruption, having left a small town to move to the city. The difference was massive, requiring me to make enormous shifts in my thinking and behaviour.

This novel came out of that time, and it reflects the uncertainty that accompanies change. In writing it, I came to grips with many political, social and personal issues, so the story still holds a special place in my heart, even though my life has moved on.

My style of writing evokes sensory details about setting, despite the fact that my sight is severely limited. This is because I have to pay attention to details in order to move around safely, and because I honestly relish the little things that make places special. I trust you will find the treatment of time and place refreshing, and if you like what you read, please leave a rating or review on whatever bookish platform you like best. Thank you!



Buying options:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008OJ8IN0



Editorial review from Brenda Daniels

This firmly South African novel is set in the fictional rural area of Dirkersfield, SA, and follows the adventures of main character, Ingrid Steele. Ingrid’s husband, Warren, has a mental breakdown and is admitted to hospital for psychiatric treatment. It is while he is there that Ingrid discovers a long-held family secret, one that has grave consequences for herself, her family and her community. As Ingrid “unravels” in the face of emerging truths she questions her Christian faith, the strength of her relationships, the taboo of mixed race romances in South Africa’s vulnerable new democracy, and the difference between infatuation and love. Author, Leanne Hunt, does well to weave these themes into a plot that delivers a number of surprises, thereby keeping the reader’s attention and providing food for thought. I loved the South African flavour of this novel and its thoughtful highlighting of difficult issues like racial prejudices and the AIDS pandemic.