The Crooked Path Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR IRMA JOUBERT

  Child of the River

  "This is a thoughtful and provoking novel to be savored.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS

  “Joubert (The Girl from the Train) once again demonstrates a knack for stringing believable, interesting characters through a historical South African landscape. Not just a sweet romantic novel, Joubert’s book is a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “Irma Joubert is known to transport her readers to another world. In Child of the River, she masters her craft, weaving a page-turner that shapes our souls. With each scene, we learn something new, not only about the darker side of humanity, but also about the resilience of the human spirit. Filled with lessons of grace and love, forgiveness and fortitude, Child of the River is a story that reminds us all to hold steady through life’s most fragile hours.

  —JULIE CANTRELL, NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF INTO THE FREE, WHEN MOUNTAINS MOVE, AND THE FEATHERED BONE

  The Girl From the Train

  “Gretl and Jakob mature in their narrative and develop new perspectives throughout the story. Readers will love watching these broken humans’ stories intertwine.”

  —CHRISTIAN LIBRARY JOURNAL, 5 STARS

  “Readers will adore intrepid Gretl and strong Jakób in this story of war, redemption, and love.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

  “Joubert reminds readers how love triumphed over the difficulties faced by WWII survivors as they navigated new boundaries, revised politics, and the old faith prejudices that defined post-war Europe.”

  —CBA RETAILERS + RESOURCES

  “Right from the start, Joubert sets up a palpable, tension-filled atmosphere and visually striking landscape. Mixing factual events with fiction, Gretl and Jakob offer interesting viewpoints on the world around them.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 1/2 STARS

  “Richly imagined and masterfully told, a love story so moving it will leave you breathless. And deeply satisfied.”

  —TAMERA ALEXANDER, USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF TO WIN HER FAVOR AND THE INHERITANCE

  “A riveting read with an endearing, courageous protagonist . . . takes us from war-torn Poland to the veldt of South Africa in a story rich in love, loss, and the survival of the human spirit.”

  —ANNE EASTER SMITH, AUTHOR OF A ROSE FOR THE CROWN

  “Captivating. Emotional and heart-stirring. Joubert masterfully crafts every scene with tenderness and hauntingly accurate detail. It’s a stunning coming-of-age novel that packs emotion in a delicate weave of hope, faith—and the very best of love.”

  —KRISTY CAMBRON, AUTHOR OF THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN AND A SPARROW IN TEREZIN

  “A fresh voice and a masterpiece I could not put down—one I will long remember.”

  —CATHY GOHLKE, CHRISTY AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF SECRETS SHE KEPT AND SAVING AMELIE

  “The Girl From the Train is an eloquent, moving testament to love and its power to illuminate our authentic selves.”

  —SHERRY JONES, AUTHOR OF THE SHARP HOOK OF LOVE

  OTHER BOOKS BY IRMA JOUBERT

  Child of the River (available in English)

  The Girl From the Train (available in English)

  The Crooked Path © 2017 by Irma Joubert

  Irma Joubert, Cronkel Pad © 2011 by Tafelberg (an imprint of NB Publishers), Heerengracht 40, Cape Town, South Africa

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Translation: Elsa Silke

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Joubert, Irma, author. | Silke, Elsa, translator.

  Title: The crooked path / Irma Joubert; [translated by Else Silke].

  Other titles: Cronkel Pad. English

  Description: Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2017. | Includes glossary of Afrikaans words.

  Epub Edition September 2017 ISBN 9780718098186

  Identifiers: LCCN 2017025944 | ISBN 9780718098179 (paperback)

  Subjects: LCSH: Man-woman relationships--South Africa--Fiction. | World War,

  1939-1945--South Africa--Fiction. | GSAFD: War stories

  Classification: LCC PT6593.2.O8314 C7613 2017 | DDC 839.3/636--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017025944

  Printed in the United States of America

  17 18 19 20 21 LSC 5 4 3 2 1

  Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

  Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Lettie Louw

  Reinier

  Annabel de Vos

  Pieterse siblings

  Klara Fourie

  Gerbrand

  Christine le Roux

  Pérsomi

  Fourie siblings

  Children born to:

  Boelie

  Lettie and Marco Romanelli:

  De Wet

  Isabella, Leonora

  Klara

  Klara and Antonio Romanelli:

  Irene

  Cornelius, Lulu, Marié

  Romanelli siblings

  Christine and Gerbrand:

  Marco

  Gerbrand

  Antonio

  Christine and De Wet Fourie:

  Lorenzo

  Anna, Lulani

  De Vos siblings

  Annabel and Boelie Fourie:

  Annabel

  Nelius, Lientjie

  GLOSSARY

  biltong— lean meat, salted and dried in strips

  boccie— Italian game of bowling

  Boer— inhabitant of the Transvaal and the Free State in the time of the Anglo-Boer War; a white, Afrikaans-speaking person

  braai— to grill or roast (meat) over open coals; barbecue

  bushveld— a subtropical woodland ecoregion of southern Africa that encompasses most of the Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa

  bywoner— subfarmer, sharecropper

  Great Trek— an eastward and northeastward migration away from British control in the Cape Colony during the 1830s and 1840s by Boers

  Great Trek centenary— one hundred–year celebration of the Great Trek. A reenactment of the trek began on August 8, 1938, and culminated in a symbolic ox-wagon trek from Cape Town to Pretoria.

  Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef— South African landscape artist, generally considered one of the best of the old South African masters (1886–1957)

  koesister (also koeksister)— plaited deep-fried dough, soaked in syrup

  matric (matriculation)— the final year of high school; the qualification received on graduating from high school
/>   oom— uncle; also a form of address for any older man

  ouma— grandmother

  oupa— grandfather

  pap en wors—Pap (pronounced pup) is porridge made from mealie meal. It’s a traditional side dish, especially in the northern parts of South Africa, and is often served with wors, a traditional sausage.

  rainbow sandwich— a multilayered sandwich made with carrot, spinach, beet, and goat cheese spreads

  rusk— a hard, dry biscuit, a traditional South African breakfast meal or snack, typically dunked in coffee or tea before being eaten

  tannie— aunt; also a form of address for any older woman

  Tukkies/Tuks— informal name for the University of Pretoria or its students

  Van Riebeeck’s Day— celebrated annually on April 6 until 1994, in honor of Cape Town founder Jan van Riebeeck

  Voortrekkers— Dutch pioneers who journeyed to the Transvaal in the 1830s to escape British rule; also, an Afrikaans youth movement, similar to the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides

  Wits— the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg

  “I stand with outdated maps in my hand . . . alone, without recommendations in the vast desert.”

  —YEHUDA AMICHAI, HEBREW POET, 1955

  CONTENTS

  Acclaim for Irma Joubert

  Other Books by Irma Joubert

  Cast of Characters

  Glossary

  Part One: Stepping Out Chapter: One

  Chapter: Two

  Part Two: love and war Chapter: Three

  Chapter: Four

  Chapter: Five

  Chapter: Six

  Part Three: Intersections Chapter: Seven

  Chapter: Eight

  Chapter: Nine

  Chapter: Ten

  Chapter: Eleven

  Chapter: Twelve

  Chapter: Thirteen

  Chapter: Fourteen

  Part Four: Wandering Chapter: Fifteen

  Chapter: Sixteen

  Chapter: Seventeen

  Part Five: Destinations Chapter: Eighteen

  Chapter: Nineteen

  Chapter: Twenty

  Chapter: Twenty-One

  Author’s Note

  Bibliography

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  part one

  STEPPING OUT

  chapter

  ONE

  What she was looking at, was definitely not what she wanted to see.

  Lettie stood facing the full-length mirror in her mom’s bedroom. Her heart, which had been overflowing with joy only this morning, lay heavy in her chest. From this moment, she vowed, not a single cake or dessert or sweet would cross her lips, ever again.

  It was De Wet’s fault, for speaking to her this morning. Or perhaps her mom was to blame, for making all those cakes and tarts. Or Annabel, for showing up when she did, flaunting her athletic figure.

  Or maybe, just maybe, she herself was to blame.

  Whatever the case may be, she was drawing the line.

  This morning at the school fair De Wet—drop-dead handsome De Wet—had casually leaned on the table where she was working.

  “Hello, Lettie. Who would have thought a smart girl like you knew how to make pancakes?”

  “I’m just selling them,” she said, embarrassed. He was tall, and when she looked up at him, his green eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “Well, they picked the right person to look after the money. It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” he made small talk. “I say, what are the chances of a flop or two for a broke fellow?”

  She found him three and added a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

  “Thanks, you’re a pal,” he said cheerfully.

  As he turned to leave, Annabel fell into step beside him, chatting easily.

  Lettie felt a sharp pang in the region of her heart. Then it dawned on her. Why had De Wet asked for two pancakes?

  Lettie and Annabel had been friends for as long as they could remember. Lettie’s father was the only doctor in town, Annabel’s father the only lawyer. Annabel’s mother had decided early on that Lettie would be a suitable playmate for her daughter.

  Lettie lived with her mom and dad in their home in Voortrekker Street. The front room was used only when the minister came to call. They spent winter evenings and Sundays in the big kitchen with the table in the center of the room and the AGA stove, where her mom was always busy. In summer, when the bushveld was dry and hot, they sat on the back porch. Wire mesh kept out the flies and mosquitoes—except when someone forgot to shut the door properly. The house always smelled delicious, because Lettie’s mom liked to surprise Lettie and her dad with a treat when they came home.

  Annabel lived in a big house farther up the street. It had a semicircular front veranda, with pillars and four steps, and a bell beside the heavy front door that Lettie had to ring when she went over to play. A housekeeper in a neat uniform would open the door. Inside, thick carpets lay on the polished floors. The girls’ games were confined to the veranda, so they wouldn’t mess up the house. Annabel’s mom was a tall, thin woman with pitch-black hair. She was very strict and always carried a drink in her hand. Annabel’s dad was a big man with a florid complexion, thinning hair, and spectacles. He was hardly ever home, because he worked hard at his law firm. Lettie saw him only at church.

  Lettie didn’t like playing at Annabel’s home, so they mostly played at Lettie’s home.

  When they were in Form II, all the children from the surrounding farm schools came to the town school and lived in the hostel. That was how Lettie got to know Klara and Christine.

  Christine’s father was an important man. He was the Member of the Provincial Council for their constituency. But Christine wasn’t important. She was just their friend.

  Lettie took an immediate liking to Klara and Christine. She would have loved to be Klara’s best friend, but Klara and Christine were already best friends. Lettie didn’t have a best friend. She and Annabel would never be best friends.

  Lettie had always been her daddy’s dearest little sweetheart and her mommy’s pretty little darling. Lettie’s mom and dad were both short and stout and friendly. Lettie took after both her parents. She had always been a happy child.

  But halfway through Form II she began to take notice of her friends’ looks.

  Klara was continually tucking behind her ears the unruly chestnut curls that kept escaping their plaits. She had rosy cheeks and lovely green eyes. She was athletic and had a beautiful singing voice. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her body.

  Christine was small, with blonde curls and blue eyes. She always looked slightly startled—not afraid, but uncertain, rather—and she battled a little with her schoolwork. Klara often helped her. Christine was as pretty as a china doll.

  Annabel was tall and slim, with shapely legs and golden skin. She was very good at sports and she was clever. She usually wore her long dark hair in a plait but, whenever possible, she would allow her shiny, silky tresses to cascade down her back. Her eyes were dark and she plucked her brows in neat arches, just like the movie stars. Her lips were full and her teeth pearly white.

  Annabel was a stunning beauty, Lettie realized.

  All the boys liked Annabel.

  Klara’s brother, De Wet, was one year ahead of them at school.

  All the boys were in love with Annabel and all the girls were in love with De Wet—even the matric girls, despite the fact that he was their junior. De Wet was good at everything. He was a superb athlete and played in the first rugby team even though he was only in Form III. He was at the top of his class every year and he sang the male lead in the operetta. What was more, he was friendly to everyone, including Lettie.

  He even remembered her name.

  But it was that sharp pang in the region of her heart that had brought her face-to-face with herself in her mom’s full-length mirror.

  She was short and plump. “It’s just puppy fat, you’ll outgrow it,” her dad alw
ays reassured her. But she was nearly fifteen.

  She leaned closer to the mirror and took a critical look at her face. Her skin didn’t look like Klara’s, or Annabel’s. “Your complexion is a bit oily,” her mom said, “that’s all. It means you won’t have wrinkles when you’re older.” But at fifteen, getting older was of no concern to Lettie.

  To crown it all, she wore glasses.

  In front of the mirror in her mom’s bedroom that particular night Lettie resolved never to eat cake or dessert or sweets again.

  Her resolve didn’t last long.

  But the butterflies that fluttered in her tummy every time De Wet was near did not go away. The feeling was more amazing than anything she had ever felt before.

  When Lettie was in Form IV, her dad dropped her at the school gate with her suitcase, her biscuit tin, and her blanket roll for Voortrekker camp.

  “Here, Lettie!” Klara waved her over. She and Christine were standing next to the truck.

  De Wet and his friend Braam were loading the suitcases and bags. De Wet jumped from the back and came to where she was standing. “Hello, Lettie, can I take your case?” he asked.

  “I could’ve brought it over myself,” she stuttered.

  “Not on your life!” he said, laughing. His eyes sparkled, and his light-brown hair fell across his forehead.

  The butterflies threatened to come fluttering out of Lettie’s bright-red ears.

  Annabel arrived in a uniform that was too short, and her hair wasn’t tied back. She looked lovely as usual.

  “De Wet! Braam!” she called out, pointing at her big suitcase and blanket roll.

  Lettie pushed her glasses higher up her nose, envying Annabel’s nerve.