Cape Fever
Published on 15. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-3985-5423-8 (ISBN)
Description
'A cleverly told and ultimately satisfying novel, by an author bold enough to reveal uncomfortable truths' Claire Adam, Guardian
'Efficient, and unsettling... Davids assembles the requisite parts of a Gothic novel - a hysterical woman, a haunted dwelling, a perverse family secret - into an elegant narrative' New York Times Book Review
An exhilarating tale of twisted desire and the unexpected shape of justice, for readers of The Safekeep
'I come highly recommended to Mrs Hattingh through sentences I tell her I cannot read.'
1920, a small, unnamed city in a colonial empire. Soraya Matas believes she has found the ideal job as a personal maid to the eccentric Mrs Hattingh, whose beautiful, decaying home is not far from the Muslim Quarter where Soraya lives with her parents. As Soraya settles into her new role, she discovers that the house is alive with spirits.
While Mrs Hattingh eagerly awaits her son's visit from London, she offers to help Soraya stay in touch with her fiance Nour by writing him letters on her behalf. So begins a strange weekly meeting where Soraya dictates and Mrs. Hattingh writes - a ritual that binds the two women to one another and eventually threatens the sanity of both.
'Slim, taut, haunting... an utterly beguiling read' Lucy Caldwell
'The Cape Town that Nadia Davids summons up in her invaluable body of work is a riven, achingly sad place of shadows, quite unlike the comfortable, sleepy Mother City of the colonial imagination' J. M. Coetzee
'Efficient, and unsettling... Davids assembles the requisite parts of a Gothic novel - a hysterical woman, a haunted dwelling, a perverse family secret - into an elegant narrative' New York Times Book Review
An exhilarating tale of twisted desire and the unexpected shape of justice, for readers of The Safekeep
'I come highly recommended to Mrs Hattingh through sentences I tell her I cannot read.'
1920, a small, unnamed city in a colonial empire. Soraya Matas believes she has found the ideal job as a personal maid to the eccentric Mrs Hattingh, whose beautiful, decaying home is not far from the Muslim Quarter where Soraya lives with her parents. As Soraya settles into her new role, she discovers that the house is alive with spirits.
While Mrs Hattingh eagerly awaits her son's visit from London, she offers to help Soraya stay in touch with her fiance Nour by writing him letters on her behalf. So begins a strange weekly meeting where Soraya dictates and Mrs. Hattingh writes - a ritual that binds the two women to one another and eventually threatens the sanity of both.
'Slim, taut, haunting... an utterly beguiling read' Lucy Caldwell
'The Cape Town that Nadia Davids summons up in her invaluable body of work is a riven, achingly sad place of shadows, quite unlike the comfortable, sleepy Mother City of the colonial imagination' J. M. Coetzee
Reviews / Votes
'A quiet, psychological exploration of power, history and writing . . . Balances genres and crafts excellent characters.' * <I>Westsider</I> * 'Haunted and haunting, David's slim, febrile novel is full of unquiet spirits and overheated passion.' * <I>Daily Mail</I> * 'Taut, surprising and moving.' -- Adele Parks * <I>Platinum</I> * 'Languid and claustrophobic, what appears at first as a demure, strait-laced read satisfyingly proceeds towards a tinderbox of rebellion and potential revolution... It's all deliciously gothic.' * <I>Financial Times</I>, Best Books of the Week * 'Davids's subtle and seemingly small-scale exploration of the relationship between two very different women touches on larger issues of empire, race and power.' * <I>The Sunday Times</I> * 'A clever gothic novel, with a strong voice that reflects the diversity of the world and South Africa, and shows readers that everyone's experiences shape who they are and end up becoming . . . Deeply reflective . . . Brings everything together effectively and evocatively.' * <I>The Book Muse</I> * 'Cape Fever is a cleverly told and ultimately satisfying novel, by an author bold enough to reveal uncomfortable truths.' * <I>The Guardian</I> * 'A compelling an claustrophobic tale, woven from warped threads of colonialism, racism and their grim legacies.' -- Jason Steger * <I>The Age</I> * '5 stars . . . A masterful blend of gothic themes, folk-tales and psychological suspense . . . A book that is best savoured in one reading.' * <I>Sydney Arts Guide</I> * 'Astonishing.' -- Caroline Overington, literary editor of <I>The Australian</I>More details
Edition
Export/Airside
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-5423-8 (9781398554238)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nadia Davids is an acclaimed South African playwright, novelist, academic, and former President of PEN South Africa. Her debut novel An Imperfect Blessing was shortlisted for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. Her plays At Her Feet and What Remains have been staged internationally. She has been a visiting scholar/artist at the University of California, Berkeley, and at New York University, the recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize, and has taught theater at Queen Mary University of London and literature at the University of Cape Town. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, The American Scholar, Astra Magazine, The Georgia Review, and Zyzzyva Magazine. She won the 2024 Caine Prize for her short story, "Bridling." She lives in California and was a writer in residence at Aspen Writes.