Smit Motors – Réney Warrington – LAPA
“Onthutsend, ontstellend, hartverwarmend: Smit Motors is ŉ moet-lees boek wat die leser nie sommer gou sal vergeet- of kan neersit- nie. Noem dit Afrikaanse fiksie se antwoord op Of Mice and Men, behalwe dat Warrington se skryfstyl uniek en uitsonderlik haar eie is. Hierdie eerste publikasie van Wenkbrou gaan meer doen as wenkbroue lig. Dit gaan harte vermurwe.Moenie loop nie. Hardloop. Gaan koop Smit Motors.Hierdie teks verdien ŉ ereplek in elke boekrak.” – Bettina Wyngaard
Petra Smit erf onverwags haar oupa se ou werkswinkel in ŉ klein Vrystaatse dorpie. Daar is gelukkig kopers wat tou staan vir die gebou, maar Petra gaan, heel nuuskierig, kyk na hierdie eiendom waarvan sy nie glad nie geweet het nie.
Petra, wat baie lief was vir haar oupa, wil nie die erflating aan so ’n persoon verkoop nie en ’n mini-oorlog breek uit.
Dinge word nog moeiliker toe Arno, ’n reus van ’n man met die psige van ’n kind, aan haar deur kom klop. Hy wil help.
Die reus maak homself tuis en word vriende met die slagter se seun, Monty.
Petra hoort nie in hierdie dorp nie. Sy mis haar mooi meisie en die roman wat sy wil skryf, bly tweede kom in die oorlog met die slagter.
Die slagter hoort wel op die dorp. Hy ken die polisie en intimideer almal.
Sal die vreemde Petra en haar twee nuwe maats, Arno en Monty, die oorlog kan wen?
Die boek word uit verskeie perspektiewe vertel. Petra is een perspektiefkarakter, so ook is die Johanna, Monty se oppasser. Aan die ander kant van die wêreld bly Susan, ŉ kunstenaar, vasgevang in ŉ luukse Sweedse kunstepark, nog ’n perspektiefkarakter.
Petra Smit unexpectedly inherited her grandfather’s old workshop in a small Free State town. Fortunately, there were buyers who were queuing for the building, but Petra, who was curious, went off to look at her property – one she didn’t know of at all.
Arriving there, she discovered the backyard full of car wrecks belonging to the local butcher. This very butcher is also the neighbour, he beats his wife and abuses his son, Monty, but then, he has cash and is ready to buy Smit Motors.
Petra, who loved her grandfather dearly, didn’t want to sell the inheritance to such a person and a mini-war broke out.
Things got even harder when Arno, a large man with a small child’s psyche, knocked on her door. He wanted to help.
The giant made himself at home and became friends with the butcher’s son, Monty.
Petra did not belong in this town. She missed her pretty girl friend and the novel she wanted to write remained sketchy due to the war with the butcher.
The butcher did belong in town. He knew the police force and intimidated everyone.
Will the stranger, Petra, and her two new friends, Arno and Monty, win the war?
The book is told from various perspectives. Petra is a perspective character, so is the Johanna, Monty’s nanny. On the other side of the world, Susan, an artist trapped in a luxury Swedish art park, is an character as well.
What do these women have in common? How do Smit Motors bind them all?
Smit Motors is highly accessible literary fiction. Réney Warrington manages to keep the tension tight, while the reader knows that someone’s blood will have to flow in this battle. The question is: Who’s blood will be shed first?