I enjoyed this atmospheric, gothic tale -- it had a different feel that took some getting used to. The historical angle added to the story line - the past felt very familiar with similar issues. The was a paranormal/folk-tale angle which didn't appeal to me as much, but was clearly necessary for the plot.

Things got very interesting at about 85% -- the story took an unexpected turn and the action ramped up a notch.

I'm normally not a fan of historical fiction, but this one felt timeless, and I enjoyed reading and learning.

Will I read more from the author? Yes.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

This NetGalley ARC wasn’t on my radar but I enjoy historical fiction so why not? I was not disappointed - the setting was post World War I South Africa, in a rundown old house with a whiff of ghosts. Throw in an unhinged mistress of the house and a clever servant for a lesson about class and a satisfying slow burn reveal.

Great story, great premise, engaging characters and dialogue and a unique setting. All of this makes for a really good read.

A short book that took me a while to get into and to finish, I’m so glad I read Cape Fever. The author does an amazing job at building up some well-deserved ire, anxiety, and frustration. To the point where I didn’t want to pick this book back up for the longest time because I was so frustrated for the FMC!!

The prose is gorgeous and deeply human. Colonialism, racism, white womanhood saviorism, and war are all major themes. As well as navigating sticky parent relationships.

Read this if you wanted The Help to be more sinister or like books that build up a quakey stomach ache anxiety.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a sneak peek!

A tense, finely wrought novella about racism, ignorance, trust and betrayal, in 1930s South Africa.

Absolutely beautifully written about an imaginative and independent young Muslim woman who becomes the live-in maid/cook/gardener for an older white widow in her crumbling and haunted home.

Davids creates a fine balance of micro-aggressions, grudges, manipulations and secrets that builds such sweet suspense.

Thank you netgalley and simonandschuster for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"Something that lived once can stay living: trees becomes paper, a bird's feather made into quilt, sheep's hair woven into wool. Things go , even in death."
"... I realized then that the true wonder of these people is this: they are perfectly a ease with doing the wrong thing for centuries and then expect congratulations for doing the right thing for a moment."
"More kisses, letters mingle souls."
3.5/5
I really enjoyed the start of the book, which begins with the African Muslim maid, Soraya Mattas, working in Cape Town at Mrs. Hattingh mansion. At first, I thought it was going to be a ghost story but we get more of a psychological thriller/mystery. The story is slow with steady tension that builds up to what is really going on around the house. The book did get slow at times and i almost wanted to DNF but once we got to the Indian Store and the Irish woman the story becomes much more interesting with suspicions growing around Mrs. Hattingh. The ending was satisfying seeing how Soraya got her revenge on Mrs. Hattingh. I also like the beautiful descriptions throughout the book, which gave a vivid image of what the main character was experiencing. However, I did feel that the author sometimes over-described certain details, like how many porcelain dolls there were.
Overall, it's a short quick read that starts off intriguing and builds into something intense by the end.

An astonishing and beautiful story of Soraya, the servant to a formerly wealthy woman. The woman bends and twists circumstances to fulfill her desires, completely uncaring for the effect on Soraya and her life. Soraya is manipulated through psychological measures, not genuinely trusting the woman and, ultimately, trapped in an invisible cage.
Thoroughly chilling and deeply engaging.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cape Fever is a story about a creepy old house, ghosts, a manipulative older woman, and a girl just trying to help her family get by. Set in the 1920s in South Africa, Soraya is a maid to an English woman who lives in a large but dilapidated home. She has a son who provides for her but he is in London. He fought in WWI but has not been home in a very long time. Soraya at first doesn't mind her job but is upset because her employer, Mrs. Hattingh won't let her live at home. As time goes on Mrs. Hattingh increasingly restricts Soraya from leaving the house. Soraya wants to quit but she needs the money and can't risk losing her job. Mrs. Hattingh does let Soraya write letters to her fiance. Soraya pretends that she can't read or write so Mrs. Hattingh is the one writing the letters. Soraya is extremely grateful as she has not seen her fiance in a long time. However not all is as it seems.

This book was a shorter novel, less than 250 pages and honestly this is why I decided to give it a four star rating. If it had been longer I think I would have lost interest. As it stands now, it was the perfect length for the mystery of what was really happening to play out and capture my attention. The other aspect that really made this book stand out was the setting in South Africa. I really enjoyed reading about Soraya's gifts and her culture. If the entire book had been set in England it would have lost this dynamic and wouldn't have had the same spark. The writing was also superb. I loved how the author weaved in the historical details with some fantasy elements. This was definitely a darker story but it was thrilling to read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC.

This novel was quite the page turner. I wanted to stay in the main character Sorayas head forever. She was such a vivid fmc. Set in 1920s south Africa, with Soraya, a muslim housemaid for a white woman, post WW1, I knew I would immediately love and hate the dynamic of the two characters.

The writing was so beautiful. I wanted to turn pages in that book forever. (I will absolutely read more from this author)
An ethereal story set with some unlikely characters, with important themes, (still somehow present today), but I very much loved the time spent on this novel. I’m a sucker for stories from housekeepers/maids/etc. I loved the setting, the two worlds colliding when Soraya gets to go home and experience her own world and the devastation that is to be held hostage in a world that does like or respect you and often puts you between a rock and a hard place, with the drastic punishment that arises if you’re not the bigger person always. The author did such a wonderful job.
This book made me miss my grandmother somehow. Maybe it was the age of the novel or one of the characters or the home itself. Possibly the love between Sorayas family and how they all show up and love each other easily.

The ending:

Was it an easy play to call the ending? Yes. But I was fine with that. The work and the greatness lies in the journey of the story for me for this one. Such a stunning novel. I already know who I’ll be gifting a copy of this one to.

This was a lush, gothic tale of love, grief, and obsession. When maid Soraya enters the decaying home of Mrs. Hattingh, she discovers a house alive with spirits and a bond that quickly turns dangerous. Blending folklore and psychological suspense, this is a haunting story that lingers long after the last page.

This beautifully written and evocative novel has such a defined and vibrant sense of place. The twists are unexpected but inevitable, never coming completely out of left field, but always surprising. I loved this creepy, malevolent, and ultimately triumphant book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC

This is a beautifully written novella that really pulls you right in. The story is told through the eyes of Soraya, a maid for an elderly woman, in 1920s South Africa. It's easy to feel connected to Soraya, her struggles, her family issues, etc. We also slowly learn more about the woman she is serving and at times feel for her struggles as well. Overall, an interesting story, with just a hint of the supernatural.

Cape Fever is a beautiful piece of literary fiction. Soraya Matas becomes the personal maid to Mrs. Hattingh, a widow whose son lives in London after serving in combat. With no other servants in the household, Mrs. Hattingh takes an interest in Soraya's personal life and offers to help Soraya by writing letters to Soraya's fiance that she narrates. Soraya misses her family and life back at home as Mrs. Hattingh becomes clingier and more demanding. Nadia Davids' writing is so descriptive and evocative, and the dialogue feels very authentic. The pacing slows a bit toward the middle, but things really pick up when Soraya begins to find out the secrets that Mrs. Hattingh has been keeping.

I didn't want to put this book down. I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Delicious psychological thriller beautifully written exploring racism and colonialism with n South Africa in the 1920s. Soraya Matas is a young Muslim woman who obtains employment as a maid with an eccentric and impoverished British matron. Sucked into the woman’s world where it seems like Mrs Hattingh is interested in Soraya, offering to write letters to Soraya’s fiance, Nour. As a time goes along, Soraya become suspicious of things. Read the book to find out more. You want be disappointed l. I’d like to think Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.

Soraya, a young Black Muslim woman, goes to work for Mrs. Hattingh, a white woman, cleaning and keeping house in a colonial empire of South Africa. When Mrs. Hattingh learns of Soraya's engagement, she offers to begin writing letters to Nour, her betrothed, as Soraya told her she cannot read and write. Mrs. Hattingh begins to take artistic liberties with the letter writing and cancelling Soraya's time off to spend with family as her son, Timothy is supposedly coming to visit, a visit that keeps being delayed. As Timothy's ever-impending visit seems to loom and the growing distance from her family and Nour widens, Soraya needs to figure out what must be done.

I found portions of this novel predictable, but still enjoyable. I recommend this to people who enjoy insular drama, story of life in a colonial empire, or cultural stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

I thought this book was engaging, imaginative, and witty—all while tackling class, race, and history in a compact read under 250 pages. The pacing felt a little off to me (the ending wrapped up faster than I expected), but in general, it reminded me a lot of Mexican Gothic and the stories even locations can hold. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster as well as NetGalley for the ARC.

In the 1920s, Soraya arrives at the manor of Mrs. Hattingh to serve as her maid and cook. She discovers that ghosts walk the halls, and Mrs. Hattingh is hiding secrets and telling lies. She struggles with her employer, who defines their class differences frequently and speaks down to her.

This book is for literary fiction readers. The book did not hold my interest for the portions of Mrs. Hattingh writing letters for Soraya to her fiancé. Everything unravels when Soraya finds out what lies Mrs. Hattingh has been keeping, and that part of the book is captivating and masterfully written as a psychological thriller.

Thank you Simon & Schuster, Netgalley, and Nadia Davids for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
I will decline sharing on my social media due to my rating.

Before I get into specifics, I'll start by saying that this is a beautifully written little book. It's atmospheric and there's so much emotion simmering under the surface. It's a quick read that still manages to completely transport you to another time and place.

And...I'm going to step into the fray here...

Race, religion, culture and colonialism are definitely big themes here.

The things our main character dealt with infuriated me. Part of me thought she handled things with more grace than I would - realistically, she had no choice but to simply take it. She's Black and Muslim in South Africa and doing anything against a white person would end in disaster. In this day and age...let's just say my own reaction wouldn't have been pretty.

The author does a wonderful job of making you feel - all the frustration, grief, and unfairness of it all. I did feel she was a little too kind to Mrs. Hattingh (she totally has Miss Haversham vibes) and gave us some backstory that may pull some sympathy out of the reader. I would have been tempted to slap the woman.

I really enjoyed the read. It's not a feel good read at all, but it's a well written book and I'm glad I read it.

* ARC via Publisher

This is a really fun debut novel that gives us a young woman who acts as a live in servant to an elderly racist woman in a crumbling estate. Is the crumbling estate a reflection of its mistress' slowly decaying mind? Mayyyyyyyyyyybe. Either way, the ghosts of past servants who died on the estate show up a lot, and the mistress gets involved in the servant's life by helping her to write to her fiancee, in something that there is absolutely no way won't turn out poorly at all. I loved the ultimate turn that this took, and that it leans into a point of view that isn't too often considered in these sorts of gothic stories. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on what this author does next.

purely enthralling story set in the Capebin Africa - a servant girl moves in with a well/meaning older woman and the tension ratchets … could not put it down