A number of times now in recent reviews of historical fiction in the category that I call 'hidden history', I've referred readers to Fred Khumalo’s article about how contemporary historical fiction is being written in South Africa as an activist's tool and with attitude and a breathless literary intensity; a fire in its belly. So I thought it was about time I read Khumalo's book!
Reading this novel made me think about the processes of writing historical fiction and how that might impact on the text. Some historical novels emerge from an idea, or a theme, a distinctive character, or from the author's passionate interest in a particular era. And then there are authors who are seduced by a little-known event or person from history whose story deserves to be told. The genesis of these stories is the gap in the historical record. I usually prefer this type of historical fiction: I've learned a lot of history from historical novels!
However, authors setting the record straight or filling in the gaps need to be careful that on the one hand the history doesn't overwhelm the narrative at the expense of a good story, and on the other that the imagined lives of the characters doesn't detract from the credibility of the history. Dancing the Death Drill engages the reader with a dramatic beginning but at times the backstory to the out-of-character murders drifts into an overlong life story of the central character. It begins with a rather long account of his father's life and patterns of abandonment: De La Rey's desertion from the Boer forces; how he runs away with the chief's daughter from the Sotho village that offered him refuge, and how then he deserts Matshilisio, without warning or explanation. This part of the story ends rather abruptly.
Matshilisio and Pitso go in search of her own family but find the village has been taken over as farmland by the British, so she becomes a servant to an Indian family, and soon there is a fatherless baby with an Indian appearance. Saloojee and his family leave town, Matshiliso is institutionalised, but dies soon after. Her infant daughter does not survive conditions in the Bloemfontein orphanage, leaving Pitso Motaung an orphan.
Despite this inauspicious beginning, Pitso manages to get an education, and is fluent in many languages. His leadership qualities are innate, and these come to the fore when he enlists in the South African Native Labour Corps. The narration covers the training camps in the Cape, and the voyage to the battlefield, and the eventual collision of the Mendi with the cargo ship Darro with the loss of hundreds of lives.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/09/16/dancing-the-death-drill-by-fred-khumalo/ ( )

I received a free advance e-copy of this book and have chosen to write an honest and unbiased review. I have no personal affiliation with the author. This is an extremely well written piece of South African historical fiction with an amazing plot and excellent character development. It is obvious that Fred Khumalo did a great deal of research before writing this novel. I had heard of the sinking of the SS Mendi when I was in South Africa in 2006 and had researched it further at that time. The facts about the sinking of the SS Mendi are accurate and the author also provides us with accurate facts about life in South Africa before WW I under colonialism and later under apartheid. The Reverend’s speech to the men of the sinking ship as he led them in the barefoot dance called the death drill is as I was told and is recorded in several references. This is the imagined story of a well-educated survivor of the sinking ship who is of mixed race, neither black nor white. His father was Dutch and his mother was Mosotho. He can speak Afrikaners, English, and French as well as the language of the Mosotho and other African languages. This is a tragic story full of discrimination and abuse. His treatment was at times horrendous but he always prevailed. He changed his identity and his name. This is an amazing story that everyone should read. I look forward to reading more from Fred Khumalo. ( )

This novel is set around a real life tragedy, the sinking of a British troop ship transporting African workers to the front in France. Notoriously the captain who crashed into the troop ship failed to act to rescue those in the water, leading to hundreds of deaths as many men couldn't swim.

The author's account of the night of the sinking, the men's experiences on the ship and working behind the lines (none if the black recruits from South Africa were permitted to bear arms) were compellingly told. Although this is a fascinating piece of history, and I admire the author for writing about it, the book itself didn't work for me. I found there was quite a lot of telling rather than experiencing the history with the characters, in places seeming to want to get as many of the historical detail in, in others to try and move the story along. As some parts were gripping, I'll have a look for his other work and see if it was just the subject that was the problem.

"... that the collision and consequent loss of life, loss of the SS Mendi and material damage to SS Darro, were caused by the wrongful act and default of Mr Henry Winchester Stump, the master of SS Darro, in not complying with articles 15 and 16 of the Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, as to sound signals and speed in a fog, and by his more serious default in failing, without any reasonable cause, to send away a boat or boats to ascertain the extent of the damage to the Mendi, and to render to her, her master, crew and passengers, such assistance as was practicable and necessary, as required by section 422 (1) (a) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. The Court suspends his certificate, No. 017169, for 12 months from the date hereof. Dated this 8th day August, 1917.

When Pitso read the last words, a hush fell over his audience. Summer birds called from their perches, a light breeze blew from the sea in Dieppe. Then a siren sounded, and the men got up slowly from their haunches." ( )