Tales from a Troubled Land

Paton's theme is the tragedy of apartheid in his native South Africa. His characters are torn between affection for the land and grief for its divided people. Paton's first career was in social service. He worked as director of a reformatory for African boys, and the ten short stories in TALES FROM A TROUBLED LAND deal primarily with incidents from this time. Titles include "Life for a Life," "Sponono," "Ha'penny," "The Waste Land," "The Worst Thing of His Life," "The Elephant Shooter," "Debbie Go Home," "Death of a Tsotsi," "The Divided House" and "A Drink in the Passage."