Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch peeks into the lives of the so-called upstanding and unapologetically privileged men and women of the Winelands. The book exposes the staunchly guarded secrets of the seemingly respectable community of Stellenbosch, one of South Africa's wealthiest small towns, home to 3 400 dollar millionaires (before they invested in Steinhoff shares)
All is intriguingly revealed through the eyes of Jen, wife of renowned wine farmer and businessman John Pearce, after she stumbles upon her playboy husband in a compromising position with his employee.
Confronted with exposing or denying his infidelity, Jen is forced to choose between leaving her marriage, thereby jeopardising her luxurious life and status in the community, or turning a blind eye to John's cheating ways.
It wasn't just the money; Jen was afraid of being alone. What would it be like to be a divorcée?
Would she be able to keep up her friendships if she were single? Couples' dinners and functions would be awkward.
And the thought of dating again. "Sex with a stranger" she laughed.
Written as fiction to protect the innocent, Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch mirrors the underbelly of this patriarchal and often duplicitous community led by prominent wine farmers, businessmen and renowned academics, who form a laager when the town's business and private interests are compromised.
The alluring opulence of the famed Cape Winelands coupled with the very real, often funny and indeed relatable crisis suffered by Jen, makes for a sexy, fast-paced page-turner.
