Nikolas Ridout

The story of love, friendship, compassion and war, “The Noisemaker” is one of the rare pieces of fiction that is based on hard cold facts. Written by rising South African author Nikolas Ridout, “The Noisemaker” is the first part of a trilogy called The Angels Shall Sing. Inspired by the troubled times faced by the South African farmers during the Second Boer War, the story paints the picture of a war-ridden country and its helpless citizens. The author successfully captures the horrors of war, and how it destroys lives of innocents. Here in this book, you will get to know of events that were never revealed in history books. “The Noisemaker” opens with giving us a peep into the everyday life of the farming community in Cradock, a small town in South Africa. Gone are the days when the peace prevailed on the streets of this town. Now a dark and ominous cloud keeps the sky covered as if to remind people of the war that is raging around them. A 16 year old boy is hanged in front of a shocked and frightened audience. The protagonist, a farm boy, watches in horror as his best friend’s once strong, lively body is engulfed by the cold calmness of death. Why was the teenage boy hanged? What will our protagonist do next? What sort of devastation does the war bring? Read on to find out!