Book Review: Fathers and Fugitives

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

A moving life story that showcases the complexity of human connection

Daniel is a South African journalist living in London. Like many, he is deeply affected by his past, especially his difficult relationship with his father. His story is told in five independent yet interconnected short stories that explore themes of memory, identity, and the complicated dynamics of family relationships.

The book opens with Daniel’s encounter with two Serbians and presents their evolving relationship over several months. The second chapter shifts to a more intimate narrative as Daniel returns to South Africa to take care of his father, who is suffering from dementia.

In the third, we delve into the protagonist’s connection with his cousin Theon, while they try to get medical treatment for a gravely ill child. The fourth adds a new perspective on this relationship, offering an external point of view on the cousins’ bond and their efforts to take care of an infant who has lost his mother. Finally, the novel concludes with an older Daniel reflecting on his memories and the significant people who have accompanied him throughout his life.

The novel’s structure works in a multitude of ways, and it thrives in the unexpected directions it goes in, like the book’s fascinating conversation on parenting. Naudé’s greatest strengths are clearly in his ability to craft authentic, real, multidimensional characters. Each person in this book struggles with their own challenging relationships and past shadows, and this significantly influences their identity and personal development in the present time.

It seems like tragedy is always near Daniel. The narrative offers glimpses into his younger self, making the readers question the events that fractured his family bonds. A gripping curiosity. Naudé crafts a portrait of a man whose apparent caring surface clashes with his tumultuous inner world. This, paired with surprising twists in his story, creates for a tense and unpredictable atmosphere you’re not going to forget.

“His life is a thing of false starts and false endings. Rife with truncated adventures, with new chapters after what seemed to be the end of the story. Around him, everybody fades and falls away. But he persists.”

Fathers and Fugitives offers a hard view of life’s realities and is filled with truly profound reflections on family life. With this story of this compelling man, Naudé inspires readers to ponder the enduring impact of the past on the present.

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