HARVEST OF THE SUN

The narrative style of this saga of southwest Africa in the 1880s is lumbering, but the action is busy and breathless. Josh and Miriam Retallick, fleeing Miriam's ex-hubby and false treason charges in England, are shipwrecked en route to Australia with their four-year-old son David and two sailors--savage Isaiah and good Sam. Thrown up on the barren African coast, they are rescued by the persecuted, decent little Bushmen, although Isaiah rapes and kills a young native girl and is killed in turn. The four finally struggle into the village of a friendly tribe and live happily for several years aided by the chief and kindly German missionary Hugo. In spite of constant harassment by the bandit chief of a neighboring tribe, all goes well more or less until the arrival of a deadly Boer trader and Miriam's vengeful ex. Meanwhile David, now a young man, has fallen in love with Hannah, daughter of the nice trader Aaron (known throughout as ""the Jew""). But Hannah is raped by the Boer and then dies. All hell breaks loose with tribal warfare, ex-husband William conveniently dies, Josh has a pardon signed, David is making it big as a peerless trader, and the weary Retallicks head back to England. The author knows the territory, and this sequel to Chase the Wind (1977), although hardly a class item, is a solid enough adventure nightcap.