Shadow Play
is a powerful novel of subterfuge, betrayal, and deep bonds of friendship formed during a time of struggle while a new nation, determined to rise, faces intense obstacles. When confronted with his call-up papers for the apartheid army, Matthew flees to Europe. In Amsterdam, he reconnects with his friend Oliver, and falls into a different rhythm of life, but the pull of his homeland never leaves. When he receives an unexpected call from a former activist comrade, he makes a decision that will risk everything. And when he meets Mandla for the first time, he knows there will be no going back. Despite the heady freedom of Matthew's new cosmopolitan city, the reality of living as a refugee and an immigrant begins to intrude, and with it a new understanding of protest politics. For Mandla, directions to a liberated country—once clear and untainted by the seduction of power—become blurred and increasingly uncomfortable. Both men have to search deep in their hearts when asked to make choices that challenge them morally, personally, and politically.