Review of “Fiela’s Child” by Dalene Matthee

Fiela’s Child is a fiction novel by South African writer Dalene Matthee. The narrative is set in the forests of Knysna, South Africa. This novel follows the story of Fiela Komoetie and her family. Fiela is a black South African, and everyday she work hard to provide for her family, attending to her farm, and watch over her ostriches. Back in the late 1800’s, having your own farm was a big deal for a black South African. Because of her husband’s unstableness and sickness, Fiela looks after the farm and her four children: Kittie, Dawid, Emma, and Tollie Komoetie.

One night, Fiela finds a crying three year old toddler, who is white, on her doorstep. From the child’s appearances, it seems as if he has been abandoned and far away from home. Although her hands are filled with daily activities and providing for her own family, Fiela takes the child in, and for nine years, she raises the child, whom she names Benjamin Komoetie, as one of her own children. Life was going well for the Komoetie family until the census came over and took Benjamin from them. Knowing that this day would one day come, Fiela fought for Benjamin but was unsuccessful. Benjamin was then taken to an illiterate white family of nearby woodcutters named the Van-Rooyens. Having to adjust to his new environment and the new name, Lukas Van Rooyen, caused him to try and accept his new identity altogether. Into this mix of trying to find his identity, Benjamin finds that he has also gained feelings for Nina, a beautiful girl who may be his sister if the Van Rooyen’s are his real family. In the end, Benjamin is unable to accept this change of living in the forest and adopting to his identity, therefore he sets out to escape his confinement in the white society.

His journey and the consequences of his actions are unimportant to Benjamin, who longs for nothing more than the freedom of self making decisions. More than freedom, Benjamin longs for his mother Fiela, the person who has raised him for nine years and who has shown him a unique way of approaching the world. Throughout this novel,