Against the backdrop of complicated, beautiful South Africa in the 1960s, an epic family saga unfolds.

Eve Hunter has grown up on her family's dairy farm in the Lowveld, but she's inherited more than just a love of the land--she's inherited their sorrow. When her father is electrocuted while building a barn, the tragedy exposes the dark secret that has run beneath her family's sadness for years. Eve turns to Jack, her closest friend and neighbor, for comfort.

But Jack belongs to Kate, her older sister, at least that's what their families have always assumed. As Eve and Jack's bond deepens into something more charged, Eve faces an impossible choice to either honor her family's expectations or to follow her heart and risk everything.

Then Kate comes to her with a devastating request that could change everything between them.

The Light Remains is a story about the weight of family loyalty, the price of independence, and the choices that define us when duty and desire collide

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What People Are Saying About THE LIGHT REMAINS

  • "Samantha Keller's THE LIGHT REMAINS soars high above the coming-of-age genre with its lyrical evocation of the beautiful but harsh natural world of mid-century South Africa. While her wide-eyed young protagonist learns hard universal truths about teenage love and family secrets, nature in its wisdom carries relentlessly on . . . and the cruelties of apartheid pulse menacingly in the background."

    —Chris Belden, author of Shriver

  • "Keller's novel will instantly transport you to a time and place in a way few other books manage to do. And it will move you deeply from the moment you get there."

    —Mark Winkler, critically acclaimed author of six novels, including most recently The Errors of Dr Browne

  • "Poignant, authentic and utterly compelling. The Light Remains holds you until the very last word.”

    —Tanya Farber, multi-award-winning journalist, author and researcher

  • "I should probably say that I finished devouring your book—I started it and fell in love—the evocation of the landscape, the shocks Eve has to face and how she navigates them, the surprise of her gift to her sister—her many gifts—the blurring of religion, earth, and native beliefs, and so much more. It’s a beautiful book.”

    — Laurel Petersen, poet, writer, English academic, Connecticut

  • "Each page was a masterclass in mindfulness. Both the story, of love and obligation and loss, and, more importantly, the descriptive way it is told, are so amazing. I want to visit that farm or at least have another 500 pages to read about it!!!!"

    —Michael P, verified Amazon reader, USA

  • "I savored this beautifully written novel, whose rich detail evoked vivid imagery of the South African landscape. I slowed my reading as I was reluctant to reach the final page! I highly recommend this remarkable debut, and eagerly anticipate the author's future works!"

    —ALB, verified Amazon reader, USA

  • "Such a beautifully crafted story - steeped in the most glorious and evocative detail. wonderful depth of characters and everyone has their secrets! Recommended. I can't wait to hear what happens next!"

    PR, verified Amazon reader, UK

PRESS

The Daily Maverick | Novel Excerpt

Independent Newspapers | Review

Get It Magazine | May Book Club

Women Zone Stories | Meet The Author Podcast Interview

Are You An Alien? Picture Book

Growing up with a mother who is an artist meant that art and creativity was always encouraged in my childhood home. We had baskets full of art supplies, piles of watercolor paper, an assortment of brushes, colored pencils and pens, oil paints, and pastels, available to be used and experimented with.

As I child I spent hours lying on my stomach on my bedroom floor, drawing animals and illustrating bright scenes from favorite stories and fairytales. I grew up loving books and the rich worlds they held between their covers, and always imagined creating my own.

Published by Chapeltown UK, Are You An Alien? is the combination of my mother’s visual artistry and my love of words, and our lifelong intention to create a picture book together. With the help of a few African animals and little Makhosi, and the beautiful curiosity she brings to every page.

This book is about wonder and seeking, and how learning about other earthlings can teach you amazing things about yourself. Are You An Alien? is available on Barnes & Noble, Waterstones UK, Booktopia, Australia, and other online retailers.

Read Sam and Rose's Interview with Chapeltown Press

What Our Readers Are Saying

  • I just finished reading your children's book, and I honestly feel so moved. The illustrations are absolutely incredible! There’s such warmth and imagination in the way everything is brought to life. All in all, it’s a beautiful book. I admire how the simplicity of the language and the illustrations complement each other so well. It feels accessible and engaging.

    Makhosi de Wette Dludla, author of It’s Wonderful Me!

  • Have just read your delightful book! How very lovely. Both the story and the illustrations are gorgeous. I love it. Such a fun story, I can imagine loving it as a kid and a parent. Full of wonder and interesting things.

    Moss, Cape Town

  • I’ve just read it and there are so many lessons in that story! The message that we’re all aliens to someone else & yet we’re all the same, and the secret little alien on each page! I’m going home to read it again.

    Helen, Hudson MA

  • This is the perfect read-aloud book for kids up to 5 or 6 years old. Are You an Alien is the story of a little girl's curiosity about outer space, the universe, and her own surroundings. The gently humorous story is set in Africa, and the illustrations by Rosemary Banfield are gorgeous. Highly recommended!

    Elise Childley, author of Your Roots are Showing

  • Lovely story, joyfully illustrated!

    Sandra, North Carolina

  • This book is a little delight, in all respects. A very sweet story with adorable illustrations to explore. My granddaughter is 8, so will have no difficulty reading it, and it's just right for younger readers.

    Lesley, Scotland

  • Makhosi searches indoors.

  • Rosemary Banfield & Sam Banfield-Keller

    ILLUSTRATOR & WRITER

  • Makhosi searches in the air.