Moffie - by Andre Carl Van Der Merwe (Paperback)

About the Book

Unable to live up to the expectations of his family, his heritage, and his culture, Nicholas van der Swart grows increasingly diffident and introverted. When, at the age of 19, he is conscripted into the South African army, he enters a world that is utterly at odds with his every sensibility. Here, he will face the scorn and violence of his tormenters, but will also find the strength to survive.

Book Synopsis

A gay South African endures military conscription during the Angola Bush War in this autobiographical novel of persecution and hope--An "electrifying debut" (Shelf Awareness).

Nicholas van der Swart always knew he was different, but to avoid the violent punishments that come with being gay in Apartheid South Africa, he has carefully kept his true self a secret. By the standards of his brutal father and the machismo culture of Afrikaners, "moffies" like him deserve nothing but scorn.
Then, at nineteen years old, Nicholas is drafted into the South African army. He soon finds himself caught in a world entirely at odds with his identity, forced to fight for a cause he doesn't believe in. Here, he will face the hatred and violence of his tormenters, but will also experience his first glimmers of love, and finally find the strength to survive.
A long overdue account of Apartheid South Africa's criminalization of homosexuality, André Carl van der Merwe's acclaimed debut novel is the basis for the critically acclaimed film Moffie, directed by Oliver Hermanus.

Review Quotes

Praise for Moffie

"A beautifully written book."

--Farm Lane Books blog

"[A] gracious story."

--The Columbus Outlook

"I can't remember another book in recent times that is written with as much passion, grit, and unexpected tenderness."

--Globetrotter

"moffie is a novel I highly recommend to serious readers."

--Lambda Literary

"Compelling, first-rate reading."

--Shelf Awareness

"[A] powerful debut."

--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

André Carl van der Merwe was born in Harrismith in the Free State, South Africa. When his family moved to Cape Town, after two years of national service, he started studying fine art in Cape Town and later founded a clothing company, which he owned and ran for the next fifteen years. Today he concentrates on architectural and interior design and writing.