When the author, Kim Marriott, first visited Rietvlei Nature Reserve, she was surprised at the abundance of fauna and flora in this little gem of a reserve located in the east of Pretoria. She initially went to the reserve to practice her wildlife photography hobby and on each subsequent visit she would discover something new. The key was to drive around slowly and to take it all in.

At first, when she saw the few graves visible to the public at the small graveyard off South Road, and the cross and headstone on the embankment on Rietfontein Road, she did not take much notice but did find them intriguing. She then began to wonder about the history of the re­serve and the stories it could tell. From her research, she discovered that there were roughly 90 'known' grave sites on the property and that not much was available in terms of litera­ture regarding the reserve and its history. Her journey in uncovering the available history of the reserve thus began and fascinating stories began to unfold.

This book attempts to take you on this journey, from when the first Voortrekkers arrived in Pretoria to how the Erasmus family established themselves on Rietvlei and in the Pretoria region in general. The book touches on various aspects of the reserve including the history, the fauna and flora and numerous other snippets the author found interesting on her journey of exploration and discovery. Her beautiful, full-colour wildlife photographs are dotted throughout the book and were all taken within the reserve. She was also able to source hundreds of historical photographs, which are included in the book, along with an annexure section of early, supportive documents, including land deeds and agreements.

There is more to Rietvlei Nature Reserve than meets the eye and it is the author's hope that this 272-page, feature-rich book evidences this. Rietvlei Nature Reserve is a beautiful, national heritage site that needs to be protected at all costs.