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Barbara Mutch

Goodreads Author

Born

Johannesburg, South Africa

Website

https://barbaramutch.com

Genre

Romance, Historical Fiction, Travel

Influences

Music... especially by Chopin, whose Prelude known as the "Raindrop" i ...more

Member Since

July 2010

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Barbara Mutch is the author of four novels set in South Africa. The Housemaid's Daughter, a tale of love, hope and redemption, is set in the stunning Karoo. The Girl from Simon's Bay follows a forbidden romance in the port of Simon's Town during the 2nd World War. The Fire Portrait traces the life of a young artist in a rural hamlet who survives a fire to raise a child. In The Case Against Fili Du Bois, an adopted child must make her mark amid the joys and challenges of a newly-democratic South Africa.
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Barbara was born and raised in South Africa, and is the granddaughter of Irish immigrants.
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Barbara Mutch’s books

Average rating: 4.02 · 5,964 ratings · 806 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Housemaid's Daughter 3.99 avg rating — 5,133 ratings — published 2010 — 52 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Girl from Simon's Bay 4.16 avg rating — 538 ratings — published 2017 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Fire Portrait: The page-turning novel of love and loss 4.36 avg rating — 244 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Case Against Fili Du Bois 4.28 avg rating — 40 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Schwarze Tochter: Roman by Barbara Mutch (Goodreads Author), Irene Eisenhut (Translator) 3.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Karoo Plainsong it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cradock Evi : Hizmetcinin Kizi it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Cor do Coração 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	By Mutch, Barbara Une chanson pour Ada Paperback - May 2013 by Barbara Mutch (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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311 posts
Barbara Mutch's Blog

The final twist in the tale...

What makes us, as readers, keep turning the pages of a new book? Is it an arresting start? Or do we prefer to settle into a book and let it slowly grow on us? I think the answer falls somewhere in between. I know that I am always intrigued if an author offers a sense of jeopardy or challenge to come... and perhaps keeps that knowledge from the narrator or hero/heroine? It means that I, as read Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 10, 2025 01:07

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Barbara’s Recent Updates

Barbara Mutch wrote a new blog post Elephant tales... Here I am, posing with a sculpture of a rather cheerful elephant! While elephants don't feature in The Case Against Fili Du Bois, the Franschhoek v Read more of this blog post »
Nov 14, 2025 12:32AM · 1 like · like
Barbara Mutch rated a book really liked it The Women by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was a compelling but hard read... The story follows the lives of nurses serving in Vietnam during the war. Top marks to the author for the research she did to create this book. The most troubling part was not necessarily the horrendous nursing e ...more
Oct 30, 2025 01:33AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Women by Kristin Hannah. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Women by Kristin Hannah <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Barbara Mutch rated a book liked it My Father's House (Rome Escape Line Trilogy, #1) by Joseph O'Connor	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
An interesting read... set in Rome during the Nazi occupation in WW2. I think it would make a great movie! Will pursue the next in the series...
Sep 18, 2025 01:07AM · 1 like · like · see review
Barbara Mutch rated a book liked it A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sophy Roberts is an extraordinary researcher of obscure historical journeys! I loved her Lost Pianos of Siberia (who knew?) and this novel covers the hazardous journey of 4 elephants transported from India in the late 1800s, and marched into central ...more
Jun 29, 2025 01:04AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Barbara Mutch rated a book really liked it The Salt Path by Raynor Winn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A poignant memoir... will stay with me...
Jun 18, 2025 04:19AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Salt Path by Raynor Winn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Barbara Mutch rated a book liked it Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 11, 2025 04:32AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Barbara Mutch rated a book liked it The Burning Chambers (The Joubert Family Chronicles, #1) by Kate Mosse	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 05, 2025 10:20PM · like
Barbara Mutch rated a book it was amazing Lamentation (Matthew Shardlake, #6) by C.J. Sansom	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Another extraordinary book by C.J. Sansom. This is the 6th in the series about Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer working during the time of Henry VIII. I have read the earlier books as well, and from the first page I have been gripped by the author's abili ...more
Jan 18, 2025 12:24AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lamentation by C.J. Sansom. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lamentation by C.J. Sansom <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Barbara Mutch made a comment on Snap up a Christmas read! " Indeed! Bxx "
Dec 17, 2024 01:14AM · see blog post
Barbara Mutch rated a book liked it Precipice by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was an interesting angle from which to view the early stages of World War 1... and the first part of the book was fascinating. But the relationship at its centre could not carry the entire work, and I felt the story flagged after a while. As eve ...more
Nov 21, 2024 07:06AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Precipice by Robert Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Precipice by Robert Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Barbara Mutch (?)

“And I remind myself that wherever one finds oneself, home and love is lent to each of us only for a while. We must care for it while it's ours, and cherish its memory once it's gone.”
― Barbara Mutch, The Housemaid's Daughter

8 likes

“Maybe war makes you value things and people more than you did when there was Peace and you knew there would never be a shortage?”
― Barbara Mutch, The Housemaid's Daughter

1 likes

“But loneliness taken away from one place looks for a home somewhere else. And trouble taken from one person will surely search for a new lodging”
― Barbara Mutch

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Elephant tales...

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Preview — The Salt Path by Raynor Winn

See a Problem?

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