Song of the Black-Back

Set in the windswept Karoo farming community of Willowmore, this novel follows Gregor van der Merwe—a solitary sheep-farmer whose soul is mysteriously bound to a pack of black-backed jackals. As a child, he first tasted the thrill of the hunt; now, he feels their hunger, shares their senses, and communes with them under moonlight. Branded a "jackal witch" by fearful neighbors, Gregor ekes out a lonely existence—tending fences by day, running with the pack by night—haunted by stigmatizing folklore and his own divided nature. When a ruthless poaching ring begins slaughtering livestock and framing the jackals for the crimes, tension explodes: farmers demand a brutal cull, their traps and poison stalking innocent beasts. Gregor, with the help of wildlife ranger Nkosi and neighbor Magdalena, uncovers the syndicate's network, confronts betrayal and bloodshed, and exposes the true predators. In a nail-biting showdown beneath the stars, he must choose between siding with fearful humans or defending his wild kin. Guided by ancestral lore—tales of the "Grysbakkie" trickster-spirit and the charred sun-dog—and forging an uneasy alliance with the farming community, Gregor negotiates a fragile peace: a protected corridor where jackals keep vermin at bay in exchange for safe passage. In a climactic ritual within a hidden cave, he fully embraces his dual identity, balancing human conscience and animal instinct. Ultimately, "Song of the Black-Back" is a tale of belonging, stewardship, and the delicate dance between civilization and the wild, showing that true harmony comes when blood and earth, man and beast, learn to walk together.