Willemien de Villiers | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

A title by a South African artist that deals with the ties that bind and divide families. Kitchen casualties traces the lives of four generations of women, and the effect that a terrible secret has on them, their development and their relationships with one another and their children. The story unfolds as the main character prepares for her daughter's farewell party. The imminent departure to Scothland of her only child, prompts her to bring a legacy of personal abuse to closure. The action takes place during the course of a day, with numerous flashbacks to the past. It is through these flashbacks and memories that the stories unfold against the backdrop of the kitchen - the heart of the home - where the fragrant smells of home-cooked meals often provide a perfect smokescreen for abuse and denial. Kitchen casualties explores the effects of sexual abuse through the generations within a rich tapestry that is framed by the mists and natural beauty of the Cape coastline and coloured with a richness and texture of experience, interwoven with truth and lies, language and fantasy.