The Mourned One, 1975, Stanlake Samkange ***

The Mourned one narrates the story of a young man who is condemned for allegedly raping a white woman in Rhodesia, today's Zimbabwe.

Ndatshana is born a twin, separated from his brother after birth, saved and raised by a white missionary. Life is good until he realises he does not really belong and starts to enquire about his background, which, does not sit well with the white missionaries.

The woman he allegedly raped is his

Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, 2011, Alexandra Fuller

I read Alexandra Fuller's "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight" and fell in love with her writing, therefore, I decided to read Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. A non-fiction dedicated to her mother. Her birth, how she met her husband, how she came to settle in Africa. The children she gave birth to, the ones she buried, the friends she lost and the ones she gained. Her continuous moving. How she strove to remain in the African

The Book of Memory, 2015, Petinah Gappah ****

Memory is an albino, who is found guilty of Lloyd's death. The man whom she believes her parents sold her to. In order for her to have a second trial, she is required to write her story for an appeal. The Book of Memory is her story.

It starts with life with her parents and siblings in the slums, 1468 Maharapara street. What strikes me most in this part of her story is the continuous blistering of her skin due to sun exposure, I thought she would die of skin cancer at any given moment.

The second part of the book focuses

An Elegy for Easterly, 2009, Petina Gappah ***

An Elegy for Easterly is a collection of  thirteen short stories that expounds on the socioeconomic political situation of the actual and the good old days Zimbabwe.

Let me say that the stories are funny, witty and most of the time tragic. Tragic because of the corruption, inflation, despair, poverty, HIV and AIDS constantly present in every backdrop of each story. For instance the story "The Cracked, Pink Lips of Rosie's Bridegroom"  you can feel
the pressure on women to get married, Rosie is so desperate to tie the knot that she does not care that her groom is obviously down with AIDS. Everyone turned a blind eye, of course they will, let he who is not infected or has not buried a relative who died from the disease cast the first stone.

In addition, what baffles me is

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, 2001, Alexandra Fuller *****

This book was about to be discarded before I rescued it from the rubbish bin. I kept it on my shelf for years, gathering dust, not sure if to read or not to read. That was the question. I finally read it and regretted why I did not do so for so long.

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is too real to be true, a larger than life non-fiction that narrates on the childhood and growing up of Alexandra Fuller in the southern part of Africa. Her parents participated in the Rhodesian war, a fail attempt to establish the white supremacy. Having lost the war, they moved to Malawi and then to Zambia where they finally "settled". Her parents were reckless and racists who wallow in their ignorance. I am not surprised that her mother at some point ended up with a nervous breakdown, stark raving mad.

Nevertheless, this is a memoir that I highly enjoyed, Alexandra Fuller was blunt and true to her self and her readers in narrating her memoir. I might not like some of the stories narrated therein, but it is her story not mine. It was an amazing read, extraordinary and striking. I had this desire to read on and non stop. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Incredibly moving. I highly recommend, 5 star read. I would also strongly recommend Zenzele: A Letter For My Daughter right after reading this non-fiction. Both were set in Zimbabwe.

Don't Let's go to the Dogs Tonight was nominated for the Guardian First Book Award 2002, won Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and the Book Sense Book of the Year  for Adult non-fiction 2003  (previously known as American Booksellers Book Of The Year Award and now know as Indies Choice Book Award), A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini also won Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction (2008). 

My copy of this book was published by Random House Paperbacks New York, 315 pages.

Dew in the Morning, 1982, Shimmer Chinodya ***

I actually started reading "Dew in the Morning" in 2014 and finished in 2015. Narrated through the voice and eyes of a young boy, Godi. His parents not being able to afford to take care of him and his siblings in the city, send them along with their mother to live in the country side. For the most part, the novel is a narrative on Godi's coming of age in rural Zimbabwe and getting used to its custom, for instance; the dew in the morning, the rearing of cattle and farming. Not to forget the superstitious village people whose belief continuously baffle him. And how he aimed to win the heart of the girl he loves. His father remained in the city, alone, working very hard in order to send them to school. In my opinion the writer was in a way comparing the style of life in urban and rural Zimbabwe.

I am not sure if I really enjoyed this novel. Actually, it was a well written and easy narrative. Perhaps, it's the too much information about the rearing of cattle, ploughing and farming. Though, I totally understand they are part and parcel of rural life. Perhaps, it is simply because it is very young adult-oriented.

Dew in the Morning is Shimmer Chinodya first published novel, I look forward to reading more of his work not because I thoroughly enjoyed this book but because he won the 1990 Commonwealth Writers' Prize: Best Book, Africa with his novel Harvest of Thorns Though from its title it seems to be set in rural Zimbabwe too. I would also like to read his novel Can we talk and other Stories (1998), very well reviewed on African Book Addict.

My first novel read and reviewed in 2015, as well, an addition to my Reading African Writers Series Challenge. Lastly, I would like to point out that I love the painting on the book cover.

Have you read anything from Shimmer Chinodya? How was your reading experience? Do you recommend?

The Boy Next Door, 2009, Irene Sabatini ****

I finished reading this novel in the month of August, I couldn't write my review then because I was engulfed by our wedding preparations.

The Boy Next Door caught my interest because it was by an African writer but most importantly because it won the Orange Prize for New Writers in 2010. Consequently, I thought it was going to be a great read. I was not wrong. After all, one of my favourite novels "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007.

Irene Sabatini debut novel is not simply about the boy next door, it is mainly about the coming of age of Lindiwe in a deteriorating  and divided Zimbabwe. Its citizens paralysed with fear and nervousness, ready to crack apart any moment soon. To make matters worse, she fell in love with a white boy (the boy next door) who was accused of murder. I crossed my fingers and wished that their love survived in their constantly disintegrating country plagued with racism and corruption. Did it? You would have to read the novel in order to find out.

Irene Sabatini did a fantastic job with her debut novel. Believe it or not, writing is an art not everyone can master. So, being her first novel, she really impressed. No wonder she won the Orange Prize. Well done Irene. I took pleasure in reading "The Boy Next Door", somewhat reminded me of Americanah. I recommend. Though, bear in mind it was a long read 400+ pages.

We Need New Names, 2013, Noviolet Bulawayo ****

"We Need New Names" by Noviolet Bulawayo was a compelling read. A fast moving first person narrative through the eyes of a ten-year-old girl, Darling, in Zimbabwe. Her life was smooth sailing until her house was demolished, and had to move in with her family to a slum called Paradise. A contradiction in terms, indeed.

Life in Paradise was not bad after all, she made friends: Bastard, pregnant Chipo (though she was only 11), Sbho, Stina and Godknows, with whom she aimlessly roamed the richer neighbourhood in tatters, searching for ripe guavas to steal in order to assuage their hunger. Going to school was out of the question, since all of the teacher have emigrated to neighbouring countries for better pay cheque. What is more, International Aid was their main source of survival. 

As the story unfolds, things went from bad to worse and, fortunate Darling managed to join her aunt in the United States of America. Where she found herself subdued in a cultural conflict, self-loss, missing all she had left behind. Even though, her home country was a scene of abject poverty.

An entertaining read. Though, at first, I was wondering why all the Prizes. However, in the end, I came to realise that it is one special book, whose story clung on for a while after reading. Realistic characters, though, with names that weren't the norm. Additionally, I found something intrinsically despairing with Darling's narrative,  helplessly voicing out her opinions about the world she lives in. The writing style flows easily. It is just amazing how the writer emulated a child in such circumstances.

Noviolet Bulawayo is a talented writer, I am so confident that she would write even better novels in the future. Her first novel is a 2013 Man Booker Prize Nominee, 2013 Guardian First Book Award Nominee, 2013 Winner of Etisalat Prize for Literature and  2014 Pen/Hemmingway Award so far.
Finally, big thank you to the MS/HS library for lending me an electronic copy after I persuaded them to buy one.

I recommend.

The Hangman's Replacement, 2013, Taona Dumisani Chiveneko ***

This is one difficult novel to review. It started off with the wretched Abel Muranda being interviewed for a Hangman's position in the city of Harare. A hilarious one. The poor man was only interested in the job because it meant free health care for him and his family. However, there were people who thought that such position weren't meant for loyal and honest men like him. On the other hand, some others also thought he was just the perfect candidate. From there on, the story started to unfold peculiarly, with many characters involved; lawyers, judges, scientist and most importantly a carnivorous flame lily and the gallows. Interestingly, it seems a person in the dark was manipulating the whole situation to his own interest.

In my opinion, lots of effort was put into writing this novel, you can tell that the writer is full of imagination. I have never read a novel with that many characters. However, it felt more like a movie, which I think it is a story that would rather be more interesting seen than read due to its complexity.

Additionally, I am so glad to read about a totally different topic by an African writer, some sort of science fiction (actually not) futuristic novel I must confess. Sometimes humorous and thrilling.  I'd recommend if you are looking for a completely out-of-the-ordinary read by an African writer. Also, keep in mind , it's almost 500 pages, which took me a while to read.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to  Taona for sending me a  copy of your novel to read and to review, I truly appreciate.

Zenzele: A Letter For My Daughter, 1996, by J. Nozipo Maraire *****

This is more than five stars read, no way I could do it justice with my review; however, I will endeavour. A Zimbabwean woman writes a letter to her daughter, Zenzele, in a university abroad, discussing issues (social issues) that affects us as Africans. It is an epistolary novel.

She wrote about growing up in a racial segregated Rhodesia and the meaning of being an African woman. Also, about the African culture through the eyes of  Europeans, how underestimated we are to them and how ignorant they are of our civilisation. Again, she expounded on interracial marriages, relationship to other westerners with African heritage and falling in love. Furthermore, she put in writing their fight for liberty, her relationship with God not the European God but God in her own image "dark-skinned Jesus and his Angels". Finally, she narrated about life in the village, there, lay their library and their encyclopedias. The lyrical, the romantic and the tragic that shaped them as Africans.

 "Rhodesia", named after a so called "Cecil Rhodes", was under the predominantly white government. Native Africans were banned from all manner of well being. They were forbidden access to the chick-European suburbs except, of course, they were to work as house maids. They lived in a state of constitutionalised racism that limited their education, laughter, play and pain. All they knew was deprivation, austerity and hard labour. Until, after years of bloodshed and struggles to obtain freedom, they regained their land and put up the name Zimbabwe that gave them the keys to the Kingdom of their country. Nevertheless, in the process of ensuring that their children received every opportunity of the "western privilege" something went wrong. "Well being" was translated into a material definition of success. They all wanted to be like their colonial master instead of cultivating their own culture.

To her mother-in-law to be an African woman means be at peace within, to always listen to that inner voice and not let others take it away from you. To her mother it means to work hard. However, it is left to Zenzele to define herself as the African woman she wants to be.

Most of the times, Zenzele's mother used stories to discuss some of those topics mentioned before. For instance, she wrote her daughter the story of her cousin (mother's cousin) that was sent to UK on a scholarship, awarded by the village people, to study medicine. After many years of isolation living abroad, he came back without a degree. Not just that, he was as well ashamed of Africa in so far as he refused to understand and speak his native language, not even to his mother in her deathbed. He was always on his high horse. When he was queried, he responded

"Proud of what? of the mud huts? of the children running around in rags, playing with rusted tins? of coup after coup? proud of potholes in the streets, queues for sugar, buses that do not work? Is that what I am to hold my head high about?..........Poor beggars, we should be ashamed, not proud!.... the world most miserable excuse for a continent.....a cultural desert and a political swamp... and so on and so forth". 

He was told that he sounded like a parrot of the European anti-African jargon.

She continued:

"Our continent has no life, no definition, and no spirit of its own. It is an object to be acted upon. It needs to be molded, freed, bought, sold, aided, and sabotaged, all at the whim of the benevolent and all-seeing Europeans." 

As Chinua Achebe said and was also repeated in this novel "Until the lion learns to write, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter."

What a brilliantly written novel! Poetic, elegiac and lyrical, full of emotions, inspirations and wisdom. A must read and a re-read. In fact, I highly recommend it to all people of African heritage or simply to all lovers of African Literature.

Actually, J. Nozipo Maraire is a Zimbabwean doctor, married with four children, a full-time practising neurosurgeon. She attended Atlantic College in Wales, received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and went to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. And then completed her neurosurgery training at Yale. She currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut. Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to her for writing such a moving novel!

With this I end my reviews for the year 2012!