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Some legacies are inherited; others are survived.
Rush is a sweeping, time-bending tale of survival, love, and legacy. Moving between the glittering promise of 1890s Johannesburg and the harsh reality of 2006, it follows Joey, a runaway teenage girl haunted by danger, and Grace, a Boer-era diarist caught in the turbulence of colonial greed, war, and betrayal. Their lives, separated by more than a century, entwine through blood, memory, and the land itself—revealing that some secrets never truly stay buried.
Two girls. Two centuries. And a deep truth that could never be silenced.
- A Gritty Coming-of-Age Story — Joey, homeless and invisible, finds refuge in the decaying Gold Rush theme park, only to stumble into danger, unlikely friendships, and a fragile first love.
- A testament and guide to strength and resilience — Joey and Grace face abuse, exploitation, and society’s pressures, showing young readers that courage and resilience aren’t just for surviving history—they’re tools for navigating life today.
- A Haunting Historical Narrative — Grace records the brutality and beauty of life in the 1890s for a young native girl, and the merciless hunt for gold that shaped South Africa.
- Threads of Mystery and Survival — Past and present collide as hidden diaries, buried treasure, and old grudges echo into the modern day.
- Romance, Resilience, and Reckoning — At its heart, Rush is about connection: to the people we love, the secrets we inherit, and the courage it takes to choose freedom.
Blending historical fiction, South African literature akin to a modern-day Bosman, and suspenseful coming-of-age drama, this story is a cinematic, heart-wrenching debut that asks: how much of the past can we escape, and how much must we carry forward?
If you love epic historical sagas, gritty survival stories, or suspenseful novels with strong female leads, Rush will sweep you away.
About the Author
Jessica Wright Botha
Author of Rush
Jessica Wright is a South African writer, creative director, and founder of the all-female studio Silver Hare Creative. Known for her instinctive storytelling and her ability to uncover the emotional undercurrents that shape people and brands alike, she brings the same sharp intuition to her fiction. Her debut novel, Rush, draws on a lifetime of listening closely to the untold stories of the women around her — their strength, fractures, friendships, and quiet rebellions — weaving them into a narrative that hums with both tenderness and grit.
A lifelong observer of human behaviour, Jessica has built her career on translating feeling into form, whether through identity design, brand storytelling, or the visual worlds she and her team create. When she’s not writing, she can be found building communities for women in the creative industry, championing collaboration, and pursuing the small, surprising moments that spark good stories.
Rush is her first novel.
