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Rush
Paperback
Publisher: Jessica Wright Botha
Published: Dec 5 2025
Pages: 370
Weight: 1.09
Height: 0.82 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Some legacies are inherited; others are survived.
Two girls. Two centuries. And a deep truth that could never be silenced.
Rush is a sweeping, time-bending tale of survival, love, and legacy. Moving between the glittering promise of 1890s Johannesburg and the harsh reality of 2006, it follows Joey, a runaway teenage girl haunted by danger, and Grace, a Boer-era diarist caught in the turbulence of colonial greed, war, and betrayal. Their lives, separated by more than a century, entwine through blood, memory, and the land itself-revealing that some secrets never truly stay buried.
Discover:
- A Gritty Coming-of-Age Story - Joey, homeless and invisible, finds refuge in the decaying Gold Rush theme park, only to stumble into danger, unlikely friendships, and a fragile first love.
- A testament and guide to strength and resilience - Joey and Grace face abuse, exploitation, and society's pressures, showing young readers that courage and resilience aren't just for surviving history-they're tools for navigating life today.
- A Haunting Historical Narrative - Grace records the brutality and beauty of life in the 1890s for a young native girl, and the merciless hunt for gold that shaped South Africa.
- Threads of Mystery and Survival - Past and present collide as hidden diaries, buried treasure, and old grudges echo into the modern day.
- Romance, Resilience, and Reckoning - At its heart, Rush is about connection: to the people we love, the secrets we inherit, and the courage it takes to choose freedom.
Blending historical fiction, South African literature akin to a modern-day Bosman, and suspenseful coming-of-age drama, this story is a cinematic, heart-wrenching debut that asks: how much of the past can we escape, and how much must we carry forward?
If you love epic historical sagas, gritty survival stories, or suspenseful novels with strong female leads, Rush will sweep you away.
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