Thorns of a Rose is a gripping tale of the life of a teenage girl living in rural South Africa who is sold to a rich, old landowner in payment of a debt. Thandolwethu, nicknamed "Thando", is enjoying her life as a student in a private mission school in her village, but is finally persuaded to go to work for Abiyosa for a short period in order to pay off the family debt. When she arrives at the Abiyosa plantation, she finds out that she is to be the next wife for this old man.The story is set in the 1990's, providing a shocking dose of reality about the recent state of life in some parts of South Africa. The cruelty and terror felt by Thando in her new, hopeless life is mitigated by her falling in love with Abiyosa's young nephew. Not a story for the faint of heart, Thorns of a Rose reveals a side of life not well understood by modern city-dwellers.