Book summary

A historical novel set in 18th-century South Africa, ON THE CONTRARY is the tale of Estienne Barbier, an itinerant adventurer, and his checkered career as a soldier of fortune and seducer of women.

Media reviews

"I was fascinated first by the historical story of the East India company and then by the parallels I saw between Barbier and Prime Minister de Klerk, who...was refusing to apologize for apartheid and saying it had been a mistake because it hadn't worked. The refusal to accept blame was a characteristic that I thought both characters shared."