Why a Booktrail?
1930s: Rebecca meets The Island of Missing Trees
1930s: Rebecca meets The Island of Missing Trees
Sana and Meena will never meet. They share little beyond Akbar Manzil, the sprawling mansion high on a clifftop above Durban that they both call home. When Meena fell in love with the owner of the house it was the grandest residence on South Africa’s eastern coast, its shining marble parapets and golden domes a testament to the wealthy Indian family’s prosperity.
Eight decades later when teenage Sana follows in her footsteps, Akbar Manzil stands in ruins, an isolated boarding house for eccentrics and misfits. This is a place where people come to forget. Or to be forgotten.
But unlike her neighbours Sana is curious about her new home, and finds herself irresistibly drawn to its deserted east wing. As she moves closer to unearthing Meena’s story, a grieving djinn begins to stir from its long sleep.
Durban, South Africa
The city of Durban and the grand fictional house of Akbar Manzil
” For a long time, Akbar Manzil was the grandest house on the east coast of Africa, When ships from Europe came into the harbor, those on board caught sight of the outrageous manor with its Palladian windows, marble parapets, Romanesque towers, ad golden domes. The astonished travelers pointed to the strange structure on the hill and declared among themselves that there was indeed hope for the Dark Continent if such development existed right at the bottom.”
In many African cultures, the Djinn is said to possess objects such as lamps or bottles, and it is said that whoever finds one of these objects will be granted three wishes. In African folklore, spirits, and demons are considered an important aspect of life and death
Destination: South Africa, Durban Author/guide: Shubnum Khan Departure Time: 1930s
Back to Results