Can you help me find a specific book?

[chicaguapa]

When I was travelling in South Africa a number of years ago I bought a book which I haven't kept hold of but would really like to read it again. But I don't remember what it's called!

Clues are:

1. It's set in South Africa
2. It's apparently studied in schools over there (or used to be), like a SA equivalent of To Kill a Mockingbird
3. It's about a white boy that goes missing in a forest when he's about 2 or 3 years old. He is found and raised by a black family. About 8 or so years later he is discovered during a census and returned to his original white family.

It's a fantastic book and I can even remember the ending (that's not in the summary above btw!). But unfortunately not the name. I think I would prefer it the other way round!

Anyway, I'm hoping that someone would be able to help me find out what it's called. Fingers crossed.

Googled and found this -

Matthee, Dalene. Fiela?s Child. 1986. (Fiction/M)
A white toddler who wanders away from his family?s home at the edge of the Knysna forest in South Africa is found and raised by a black woman until census takers discover him. So, at age 12, he is taken from the only mother he knows and returned to his biological family. The boy must then shed his black identity to be acceptable to his "real" family. This engrossing story of race and identity was originally pblished in Afrikaans.

Yes, /link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fielas-Child-New-Longman-Literature/dp/0582287324\Feilas Child}

Feilas Child

It's available on DVD too

Gosh, aren't you all clever? What did you google? I had no idea it would come up on there!

Fantastic, thanks. I highly recommend it.

book "raised by a black family" africa

in my case

I'm interested in reading it now but after the pregnancy hormones (and then the new born ones) have gone. The description makes me want to weep!

Is there a prize for being first?

I don't remember it making me cry, but I read it before I had children and I'm a blubbering wreck now. Get it, put it on your bookshelf and you'll have something to look forward to along with being able to get into your jeans.