List of Key Characters

Eleanor’s Family

• Lionel Williams — her father 

• Mary Williams — her mother 

• James Williams (family nickname Tigger, or Tig for short) — her older brother

• Annalise Kritzinger — James’ wife

• Henry Williams — her younger brother 

South Africa 

• Kelebohile Motseki (Rebecca)¹ — the Williams’ housekeeper 

• Helen and André Beckham, Aunty Trudy — neighbors Eleanor befriends 

• Natasha McMahon — school friend 

• Meredith Porter — university friend

• Alasdair McRoberts — university friend 

• Father Robert — priest, family friend 

Department of Foreign Affairs

• Henrik Viljoen — Chief Director of Middle East and North Africa 

• Sizwe Magubane — a junior diplomat, friend to Eleanor 

• Francois du Plessis — head of the Levant desk (covers Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Syria and Lebanon). Later her boss and Head of Mission in Palestine. 

• Imaad Musa — head of the North Africa desk (covers Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, the Sahwari Republic, and Mauritania). Later Ambassador to Turkey. 

Egypt

• Magda Steenkamp — Counsellor at the South African Embassy

• Fiona, Cam and Oliver — friends and classmates at the British Council

• Wendy — a friend

Palestine

South African Representative Office in Ramallah and Gaza

• Francois du Plessis — Representative 

• Jacob Olivier — Intelligence officer

• Wissam Tarazi — mission staff, Ramallah

• Nagla Khatib — mission staff, Ramallah

• Tariq Khoury — mission staff, Gaza

South African Embassy in Tel Aviv

• Naughton Elliott — Ambassador 

• Hettie Vermeulen — Administrative Officer 

Others 

• Damien Kearney — a friend 

• Nigel and Deana Shipley — head of World Vision and his wife 

• “The Gang” of friends: 

  • Thomas Osborne 

  • Jamal and Suheir Haddad 

  • Rajji and Gillian Bishara

  • Patrick Bonneville

  • Christina Dunn

  • And others 

• Khalil and Ronit — Jericho stable managers, friends

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Go to 1. Prologue

1. “Maid” or “domestic servant” would be the more usual phrasing in South Africa at that time. I’ve used “housekeeper" instead to be more respectful to the true role these women played in the lives of South African families.