THE LIGHT REMAINS

230pp., paperback, Modjaji, Cape Town, 2026

ISBN: 9781991240491

Also published in the USA in 2026.

An epic family saga about the weight of family loyalty, the price of independence, and the cost of choosing between duty and desire, set in South Africa in the 1960s.

When Eve Hunter's father is electrocuted while building a barn on the family's Lowveld farm, Eve turns to Jack, her closest friend and neighbour, for comfort. But Jack belongs to her older sister Kate. As Eve and Jack’s bond deepens, Eve faces an impossible choice.

“The Light Remains soars high above the coming-of-age genre with its lyrical evocation of the beautiful but harsh natural world of mid-century South Africa. While her wide-eyed young protagonist learns hard universal truths about teenage love and family secrets, nature in its wisdom carries relentlessly on ... and the cruelties of apartheid pulse menacingly in the background.” Chris Belden, author of Shriver

Samantha Keller grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Connecticut, USA. She has published multiple short stories and a children’s picture book, and works as a writing teacher and developmental editor. The Light Remains is her debut novel.