The Griqua's Apprentice

When Afrikaans singer and actress Antoinette Pienaar first stood before renowned Griqua healer Oom Johannes Willemse, he said: ‘So you have arrived here at last, Juffrou!’ For almost forty years Oom Johannes had been dreaming of a woman in a red bakkie to whom he would transfer his knowledge – knowledge passed from grandfather to grandson since the dawn of time. After a seven-year apprenticeship, Antoinette now writes about the healing powers of Karoo herbs. About how they can move you – for Oom Johannes’s approach heals not only body, but also soul. In The Griqua’s Apprentice you hear the warm voice of Antoinette as thousands of people have come to know it on radio and on stage. With insight and empathy, and always ready with an anecdote, she shares her knowledge and Oom Johannes’s wisdom compassionately and wholly. Enriched with photographs, stories, advice and indices, The Griqua’s Apprentice is as much a reference as it is a storybook.