A story of love, loss and the happenstance of time and place, "Born on Friday 13th" is an inspirational story of survival and perseverance in the face of obstacles, big and small. It is an affirmation that we can all make the most of our lives, even if it looks like we have been dealt a bad hand.
Anna Murray was born in Kenya and with her brother and parents, had a fairly idyllic early childhood, riding horses and enjoying the love of family and friends. That she was born on the mythic Friday 13th didn;t seem to bother her at all. But then her father became ill and sent her to meet her mother. Anna was angry that he didn't come with her and didn't tell her mother that he wasn't feeling well. three weeks later, he died and young Anna blamed herself for his death.....
One day she confided this to her mother, who told the child that her actions would not have made any difference. Still, Anna grieved the death of her father. Her mother took over the Highlands Hotel in Molo and Anna and her brother rode horses and went hunting together. She spent many long hours with her best friend, Bella. But the political climate in Kenya changed when the country won its independence. Fearing for the safety of her family, Anna's mother sent her daughter off to South Africa with a woman and her four sons. She had no idea when or if she would ever see her mother again....
Excerpt
On arriving at Heathrow I was surprised to find it hard to understand what people were saying. It was like they were speaking in a foreign language. Having lived in South Africa for four years, I realised that I had picked up a strong South African accent and I found the English accent quite foreign now....
I was 16 years old and there were two things I simply could not comprehend. One was snow - how did it feel? What was the texture? The second was television: How could they get a picture coming out of a box?
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