Zephyr (14+) 9781035902538 (Paperback)
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Revelations around her Baba force Chiante to reassess her life and to dig deep into her family’s past. There’s a clever parallel between what it means to belong as part of a family and what it means to feel part of one’s country. Intergenerational relationships are unpicked with care, highlighting how the wisdom and experience of older people can enrich younger generations, while also showing how young people are able to bring positivity and new perspectives. Identity, belonging and growing up through emotional trauma combine with great verve.
Themes
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Blessing Musariri is an award winning author of short stories, children’s stories, radio and screenplays, and contemporary adult fiction. Her work has also been published by the Guardian, Granta, and Poetry International. Blessing lives in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The book is very interesting but starts off quite vague and drops us right into the middle of action right at the start. We are introduced to a girl named Chiante who lives in a nuclear family with two sisters, Taren and Tisha. But after an accident, a long-hidden secret is revealed, where ‘Baba’ or Tinashe turns out not to be her father. She runs away to her grandmother, who she calls Ambuya, who lives with a group of older women and a man (Mr Kinsley Pfupajena who makes her do TikTok’s with him). They all fought in the liberation war in Zimbabwe. Chiante joins their textile business and learns the ins and outs of the business and while living with Ambuya finds a picturebook which she tries to use to find out more about their lives during the war. She also assists the women in deterring some thieves. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story!
Fuad
Brentwood Carnegies