[Norman] takes on the future of the embattled Afrikaner with remarkable tenacity and intelligence ... Assured and scrupulously reported, this is perhaps the most interesting book about South Africa to have appeared since Rian Malan's My Traitor's Heart 26 years ago.
The Spectator
There is much of interest to be learned here about the rival attempts by die-hard ... Read moreAfrikaners on the one hand and the ANC on the other to commemorate this battle on the banks of the Ncome River in diametrically opposed ways, leading to a frigid standoff that says much about contemporary South Africa.
R.W. Johnson, Literary Review
'Kajsa Norman is a skilful journalist, courageous in entering dangerous situations, shrewd in investigating, patient in listening. ... Altogether, this book gives a fascinating insight into one of the worst periods of religion-dominated social cruelty.'
The Church Times
'[A] fascinating tapestry, wefted by history and warped by anecdote.'
Irish Examiner
Norman does not minimise the horrors of the apartheid era, but she does delve into the paradoxes of the Afrikaner in their perpetual quest for survival: despite their often brutal form of racism they were also capable of humane acts ... With Bridge over Blood River, Kajsa Norman has made a significant addition to available literature on the Afrikaners.
The South African
Thick-skinned and fearless, Kajsa Norman has embarked on a daring journey through South Africa, deep into the landscapes of the tensions that still prevail there. She's looking for the only thing worth seeking: that which, in the clearest and most unambiguous way, describes a society in transition where there is every reason to be vigilant.
Henning Mankell
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