As the four friends jogged their regular morning route, along the sleepy suburban streets of Fish Hoek, nothing could have warned them of what was to come. Trying to take a short cut and win favour with his taxi boss, a young driver Tshepo Dlamini crashes into one of the runners. As Claire's lifeless body lies crumpled on the ground, Tshepo finds himself trapped in a metal carcass. What's left of his life is turned upside down. Watching the accident happen, Maureen stands on her balcony and is the only witness. Yet she harbours another dark secret.
To save his life, Tshepo's leg is so badly injured that it must be amputated. Maureen must learn to deal with her husband's addiction and build her own life. No longer the awesome foursome, Tanya, Liz and Kate reframe their friendship without Claire and overcome their fears and inertia. For James, Claire's adoring boyfriend, his life begins to unravel as he wakes to the news that Claire is dead, leaving him to question life as it was and will be.
From shock to acceptance, each chapter is a journey, and as each person tries to move forward with their lives, they must face their mistakes, set against the complex backdrop of small town South Africa. Showing that there is always hope, and that change is inevitable, each character must learn to forgive themselves and others, but for some, the hope of closure may be harder than they thought.
Praise for 'After you died...'
"There is a sombre melody of loss that plays in this story... the loss of a friend... the loss of a lover... the loss of a life... but the story is layered with harmonies, sadness, pain, happiness, empathy, excitement and nostalgia...this is what makes this story so emotive... this is why you should read this book" Dr Laura Fisher
