Zebra: Inspired by the Life of Athol Wallace

Jill Wallace

May 2021 · Tsotsi Pubications

About this ebook

A young white boy and a Zulu teen grow up together, building an extraordinary friendship as they explore the rugged Drakensberg mountains around a remote South African hotel during the apartheid era.

Jock and Papin forge an indelible bond while learning to love and appreciate each other’s cultures. Despite whispers from intolerant guests, the boys are oblivious to the consequences of their friendship. “There goes the zebra,” guests remark, claiming they can't tell where the white boy ends and the black boy begins.

But the boys’ friendship is strong enough to conquer all—until society’s impossible expectations wrench them apart, leaving bitter disappointment and soul-deep wounds that will not heal.

A decade later, these long-lost friends converge on opposite sides of a harrowing battlefield, one a reluctant soldier, the other a passionate freedom fighter. Their intimate knowledge of the other’s way of life could be the very tools that save them...or destroy them. And an unimaginable choice will put Jock and Papin’s once unbreakable bond to the ultimate test.

Jill Wallace, author of the multi-award-winning World War II novel War Serenade, brings together a fascinating coming-of-age story with a compelling tale of human connection in Zebra.

About the author

Jill Wallace was born and bred in South Africa and has lived half her life in America. She often feels like a baobab. Sure, it's not the most handsome tree in Africa but it's certainly the hardiest with roots that look just like branches though each serves its very own purpose. Also called the "Upside Down Tree", like the baobab Jill no longer knows where the South African ends and the American begins.What started as a true story her mom told her when she was four, decades later morphed into "War Serenade" - the screenplay. The script was twice optioned to become a feature film. While waiting for the next producer to make it "3rd time lucky", Jill wrote "War Serenade," the WWII Historical Romance novel. Now, at 447 pages it's potentially either a "Gone-with-the-Wind"-length-movie or a TV limited series. "War Serenade" is available in audio narrated by the award winning Peter Noble."War Serenade" has won numerous awards such as: Reader's Favorite 2018, OnLine Book Club 2018 Historical Fiction Book of the Year Award, Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award 2019 Finalist, Golden Quill Contest Winner Desert Rose RWA, The Independent Writers Book of the Year 3rd place award, and Rone Awards 2020."Zebra" is Jill's second novel and it's inspired by the life of her husband, Athol, whose best friend was a Zulu growing up in the apartheid era in his parents resort, high in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa. Spanning four decades, this saga of true friendship is a touching, enlightening adventure into a world that's sure to be fresh to many. It's a timeless story of hope and compromise as relevant today as it was in the last century.She lives close to the beach on the Space Coast with her long-time-love/husband and two ridiculously spoiled Aussie Shepherds. She believes in great friendships and the power of chocolate. Learn more about the author at http://www.jillwallace.com