An Instant in the Wind by Andre Brink. The author has built a story around a historical footnote: in 1751 a white woman and a runaway male slave journey through the South African interior. Brink achieves a wonderful shift in focus, with the characters set in a precise historical moment, while also having an Adam and Eve-like freedom. It is a beautiful tale.
Laura McGowan is a teacher at Kings Avenue Primary School in south London.
