14-05-2025
Lindsay Norman's Khaki Fever will make you tear with laughter
LINDSAY Norman has made a foray into the world of adult fiction with the highly entertaining Khaki Fever.
Published last month, it tells the story of Alexandra (Alex) Carnell-Ellis, a petite game guide who doesn't suffer fools. In fact, Alex has no filter—and even less impulse control. She says exactly what she thinks without batting an eyelid, inevitably getting herself into trouble.
Two lines into the story and already you know the book is going to be a comedy riot, just by reading Alex's self-deprecating descriptions of herself. '...I'm not exactly what people expect in a guide when they go on a safari, even when it takes place in a glorified zoo.'
Describing how tiny she is (especially in comparison to Magnus, her beefy colleague) Alex says 'even though I never stop eating, I'm a bit on the skinny side.' It doesn't help that she has to sit on a cushion when she drives the Land Cruiser.
Unfortunately the group she takes on a drive is not exactly smart, and when she points this out and is told to apologise, she responds exactly how she shouldn't, 'I'll burn in hell before I apologise to a moronic bully.'
Less than three months on the job and with seven complaints against her name, she doesn't exactly endear herself to Antoinette, her boss. For instance when asked by a guest where hippos lay their eggs, Alex told her it was under a termite mound. And so, fired from The Plains for being rude to the guests, she returns home to her family's farm in Constantia.
Soon she lands a job at a zhoosh game reserve but causes controversy, as usual, when the Alex that arrives is not the man they expected. Despite her sharp tongue and sharper talent for getting into trouble, Alex finds romance albeit with a big dollop of trouble.
The book is pure rock and roll. Every page is filled with excitement and I read it in one sitting. It's easy to give away the entire story because every page is filled with gems. While the tone is light and irreverent, Norman also weaves in sharp observations about workplace politics, marital issues, sibling relationships and gender expectations.
Lindsay Norman's way with words is indicative of her three decades in the publishing world in various guises, from editor to writer and everything in between. She also heads up WordWise, a company that offers various courses and services.
Khaki Fever is outrageous, laugh-out-loud funny, and will make you snort. It should come with a warning if you are prone to drinking tea while reading. If you are looking for razor-sharp dialogue, mayhem at work or a gutsy heroine, this book ticks all the boxes. It retails for R310 and can be found at all good bookshops.
