"There are several things about this novel that make it stand apart from the novellas that have merged in post-plantation KwaZulu-Natal ... Thathiah makes a convincing case for the centrality of small town, barrack-based (or partly-based) culture in experiencing the past of indenture ... And if you’re looking for a good re-living of young love amidst an epigraphic background of song verses from the sixties and seventies, this novel is for you." Rajend Mesthrie, Emeritus Professor (UCT), from his foreword