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Spanning decades and generations, Under the Banyan Tree is a luminous tale of resilience and belonging, inspired by the untold stories of South Africa’s Indian community.
From the bustling heart of 1940s Durban to the quiet sugar plantations of the North Coast, Under the Banyan Tree is a sweeping, multi-generational story of love, loss, and belonging — a deeply human portrait of one Indian-South African family living through the tides of colonialism, apartheid, and migration.
At its centre is Jemimah, a young woman with the heart of a healer and the courage to dream beyond the boundaries of her world. Raised above her father’s tailor shop in Durban’s Casbah, she yearns to study medicine — a dream forbidden to her by the colour of her skin and the confines of her time. As riots erupt and tragedy strikes, Jemimah’s life is torn apart, forcing her into exile on a distant sugar plantation. There, beneath the sprawling roots of the ancient banyan tree, her story of survival, faith, and forgiveness begins anew.
Inspired by true events and rich in historical detail, Under the Banyan Tree captures the vibrancy of Indian culture in South Africa — the scent of spices from the Victoria Street Market, the laughter of family gatherings, and the unspoken strength of women who refused to surrender their dreams.
About the Author
Maureen Campbell
Author of Under The Banyan Tree
Retired amidst the wild, natural beauty of Salt Rock, KwaZulu-Natal, next to the warm Indian Ocean, Maureen Campbell is an avid reader, budding writer and lauded poet.
She has studied Art Theory and creative writing. She belongs to a local writing circle and keeps her writing skills sharp mainly through short stories and poems. In 2015 she received the Hilde Slinger poetry award.
In between reading widely, she enjoys the challenge of writing her own short stories and is venturing into longer ones too.
