When the Lion Feeds

The novel opens in the 1870s in Natal - one of the colonial possessions of England in what will one day become South Africa. Sean and Garrick Courtney, the twin sons of one of the local ranch owners, spend their days hunting and playing under the hot sun. Until a tragedy strikes, Garrick loses his leg (due to his brother's negligence) and the relationship between them changes. Sean tries to make up for it, Garrick gets more and more bitter and manipulative.

And all that story unfolds while the world around them changes - they both end up in the Anglo-Zulu War - Garrick comes back a hero, Sean and their father are presumed dead. Until Sean comes back home to find his pregnant girlfriend Anna married to his brother and confirming the show more father's death. Had it been almost anyone in the world, that may have been the end of it but Anna wants a revenge for being forced to marry Garrick (because she believed Sean to be dead) so she spins a story and causes the two brothers to fall out permanently and Sean to leave, leaving all he owns to his unborn son.

And this is where the story really begins. While the Natal chapters are interesting and the war is tragic, they serve to set the scene for the future. Because Sean 's adventures are just beginning - he gets in the middle of the Witwatersrand golden fever, gets extremely wealthy and participates in the founding of Johannesburg, then have to run out of there after trusting the wrong people and ends up chasing ivory into the Bushveld, gets married, gets a child and then loses almost everything again when his two worlds meet for the first time. It is an adventure novel set in a place and time which is almost forgotten.

It is the story of Sean but it is also the story of the land that is to become South Africa - with all its beauty and weirdness, with the large open spaces and the wild animals, with the local tribes and the colonists - Dutch, English and Portuguese (and anyone else who shows up...). Sean's best friend may be white but his constant companion is Zulu and there is also a friendship there, albeit unconventional and looking almost insulting from our viewpoint - but both men respect each other and listen to each other and both learn from the other. There is a play on race and the changing in perceptions around it (and in how race is being used and abused at the colonies) - it is a world in flux where your yesterday's friend is an enemy tomorrow (the Boer war is coming soon) and your enemies may be the ones to save you next time.

And in counterpoint to Anna from the first part of the novel are the women of the later parts - Candy and Katrina - different as two women can be and yet, both of them hardworking in a men world. Their meeting ends up being the undoing of Sean's world - because none of them understand the other and neither Sean understand any of them.

The novel finishes almost where it started - with Sean looking back to Natal and deciding to go back home. It is a long novel and yet when it finished, I wanted more - Wilbur Smith is one of those storytellers that knows how to keep you interested. I am definitely planning to read more from Smith. show less

When The Lion Feeds is the first of Wilbur Smith's Courtneys of Africa series. I enjoyed his Egyptian series (River God, The Seventh Scroll, etc), so thought I'd tackle this one. Set in 19th century South Africa, it's interesting to ready a bit of the history of that part of the world - I would probably have got a little more out of it if I'd had a map beside me. It's fairly easy reading and a fun story. It did grip me as much as the Egypt series, but I'll start the next in the series at some stage.

I have never read a book by Wilbur Smith until now. I can see why he is a popular writer. He captivates you with his characters and keeps things moving fairly well. I will be reading his works in sequence.

This story follows the life of Sean Courtney from a little boy to a middle aged man. His life is thick with tragedy, adventure, love, and joy. Beautifully described and executed, a page turner from the first to last, and quite a shocking ending.

A delightful read

7/10
A bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I didn't like I was all the time picturing them in the far west, most probably my fault :-). It's probably not the best literature, but entertaining.

The story takes place in South Africa in the late 1800s and traces the youth and young adulthood of Sean Courtney. It divides into three parts: Sean's early days with his family and especially his brother Garrick; his adventures with his friend Duff mining gold near what became Johannesburg; and last Sean's excursions in the wild hunting elephants for ivory.

The story is basically a series of triumphs and tragedies. I found it generally engaging, although a little predictable at times.

3.5