GERARD Colenbrander recently penned his exciting debut novel, The Power of Seventy based loosely on his adventurous youth.
Gerry was born in Johannesburg but moved to East London where he went to school. He spent most of his early youth in Durban living in a home above the Beachwood Golf Course and in Zululand. Living at his parents sugar farm on the Tugela River, Gerry had many adventures, many of which he touches on in the book.
After school he and a friend set off for a trip to Europe, but ended up in Iceland. “While there we bought a combi in Denmark and drove through Europe, at some point we even ended up in Australia. What was supposed to be a short holiday ended in a three year adventure travelling Europe,” the 73 year old explained laughing.
His bosom buddy suggested Gerry write a book of all their adventures. “A few years ago I toyed with the idea of a children's book of farm stories but last year I decided to write an adventure book loosely based on my life. It took six months to write,” he said after explaining that he had only managed to budget an hour a day for writing, whilst running his Bed and Breakfast Conference Centre which also has outdoor adventure activities.
“I didn't want to show anyone my work before it was done because I wasn't sure if it was any good, that's why I'm so happy and surprised with all the great reviews,” he laughed.
The challenge Gerry says, was not writing the book, but having it published and he eventually opted to self publish. “The book is filled with real experiences that we had in our early days and the rest is my vivid imagination, with some wishful thinking. The story is set in Durban, when three old friends enjoy a rare re-union, they discover that one of them was involved in the discovery of a large number of precious stones and metal in a war torn Central African country decades ago. At the time it had proven wise to hide the goods in the jungle. Because of the chronic and current financial predicament of two of the friends,, they plan the recovery of these spoils of war,”
The modern day treasure hunt ensues, describing how the unlikely treasure-hunting trio of men in their seventies embark on the adventure of a lifetime to find this valuable cargo.
The Power of Seventy is available from Adams Bookstore in Musgrave Centre and online Amazon.com for the eBook.
