Ouma Smuts: The First Lady of South Africa - Tom Macdonald
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Description
'Ouma Smuts: The First Lady of South Africa' by Tom Macdonald is an affectionate biography of Sybella Margaretha “Isie” Smuts (1870–1954), the wife of South African statesman Jan Christiaan Smuts. The book portrays her life beyond the public role of a prime minister’s wife, describing her love of the family farm, her interest in literature and the arts, and her warmth towards children. Although she preferred a relatively unassuming life, she became a prominent public figure through her work with the United Party’s women and, especially, her wartime efforts to support servicemen. In 1940, she established the Gifts and Comforts Fund, which raised substantial sums to provide comforts and practical assistance to South African troops during the Second World War. Her public service earned her the affectionate name “Ouma Smuts”, reflecting the maternal image she came to embody for many South Africans. Illustrated with photographs, Macdonald’s biography offers a personal portrait of a woman whose influence extended beyond her husband’s political career into the social and charitable life of wartime South Africa. First published by Hurst & Blackett in London in 1946, the book runs to approximately 127 pages.
Condition
Good condition, as pictured
Filed under: (Auto-)biographies