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Author Biography:

Alan Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg in Natal in 1903. His father was James Paton, a Scot who had emigrated to South Africa in 1895. His mother was Eunice Warder James Paton, the daughter of English immigrants. His father was a deeply religious Christian and a strict authoritarian. His disciplinary practices led Alan Paton to despise and openly oppose all forms of authoritarianism. His father's influence was not exclusively negative; he also taught Alan to love books and nature, two passions which figure prominently in his work. More...

http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/cm/africana/paton.htm (© University of Florida Africana Collection)