Paradise, the Castle and the Vineyard: Lady Anne Barnard's Cape Diaries

Lady Anne Barnard lived at the Cape from 1797 to 1802 and was official hostess of the colonial administration for the first two years, after which she continued to play an important role in the social life of Cape Town. Paradise, the Castle and the Vineyard is an abridged version of her Cape Diaries of the years 1799 and 1800. In these private Diaries she has felt no obligation to use assumed names, or to be reticent about people, or to conceal her own opinions and emotions. They are a well-informed woman's frank perceptions of the Cape in her day. This volume is illustrated with Lady Anne's own drawings, paintings and handwriting, as well as pictures of the landmark homes (referred to in the title) that she lived in. The introduction situates the Diaries in their historical and social context, and in the continuum of Lady Anne's life, while annotations throughout the text provide contextual information and greater insight into her life, times and the people with whom she interacted.