WINDS OF CHANGE

This series opener blends an adventure, thriller, and romance centering on a woman’s struggles to overcome tragedy and establish a successful stud farm.

The story starts in Rhodesia during the Bush War, which leads to the formation of Zimbabwe under Black majority rule. As White farmers, Ivan and Margaret Johns are under attack by Robert Mugabe’s forces, which seek to claim White-owned land as part of the revolution. The couple try to protect their daughter, Melonie, and their Blue Winds estate from the encroaching war. But Melonie is abducted in a raid by former Blue Winds servant Solomon Tlale and abused by her captors. Through her own determination, Melonie escapes and is reunited with her parents, who decide to sell Blue Winds and move in with Margaret’s mother, Iris Paige, in South Africa. Melonie hits her stride there, riding and training horses on Iris’ stud farm, and eventually takes over the operation, producing prizewinning racehorses. Still traumatized by her abuse, Melonie tries to find love with Gary Whitaker, a handsome new trainer on the farm. While Melonie and her family endure more tragedy as they lose many people close to them over the years, they are anchored by their business success and Melonie’s marriage to Gary. But back in Zimbabwe, Solomon harbors a grudge and plots revenge. Robinson draws on her experiences living in Rhodesia and her work with horses to create a vivid landscape of southern Africa. Her descriptions are rich, as when she portrays a government office: “The inside was painted in a dreary cream colour, with enamel paint so shiny you could almost recognise yourself in its reflection.” And fans of horses and horse racing will delight in her detailed depictions of the farm and track. The narrative is fairly clear, but there are some missteps. A couple of times in the story, Robinson starts a scene after the major action has happened, which is confusing. In an important scene in which Melonie is assaulted, readers only see the aftermath, and it is the first time her attacker has been introduced. The Johns family members, especially Ivan, are also staunchly anti–majority rule and sometimes use slurs like munts and gooks to describe Black revolutionaries, which makes the characters feel less sympathetic.

This intriguing but uneven drama will appeal to fans of family epics and equine adventures.