The Wishing Stone

When gold is discovered in the old Transvaal in 1886, it not only leads to one of the greatest "gold rushes" in history, but charts the future of nations - including that of the British Empire. This is a chronicle of greed for power and riches, leading to crime, violence and turmoil ... changing the life of simple people forever. This rich tapestry of chaos and excitement set in pre-Boer War South Africa is woven from the experiences of a simple African herder, a bunch of hardy Welsh orphans, a Dutch pharmacist, the daughter of a Russian mining magnate and her French tutor, a Zulu traditional healer and many others.It is a heart-warming tale of friendship, loyalty and determination to survive in the rapid-changing, often dangerous hurly-burly of gold rush Johannesburg. This is history with a difference.