Summary

The Prologue takes place in Doornfontein, South Africa in 1947 and is told from the perspective of Lesley, the novel’s protagonist. Lesley was sitting on her porch eating breakfast when the postman arrived and gave her a parcel. Lesley was accustomed to receiving parcels for her late husband Robert because news had not yet reached everywhere that he had passed away. Lesley was surprised to discover the parcel was for her: a copy of a book of short stories called The Casuarina Tree by Somerset Maugham. The package contained no letter or any information about who sent it. Lesley closely examined a symbol that appeared at the front of all of Maugham’s book and realized that it had been subtly altered by hand. Lesley realized what this meant but the meaning is not revealed to the reader at this...