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Place of Reeds
24-year-old Caitlin Davies was studying in America when she met and fell in love with the enigmatic Ron. When Ron returned to his home in Botswana, Caitlin joined him in Maun, the 'Place of Reeds', and the two began their lives together. Eager to absorb all that Setswana culture had to offer, Caitlin found herself becoming part of Ron's extended family, falling in love with both the country and its people. Eventually, with the birth of their daughter, Caitlin's happiness seemed complete.
But the Botswana of the 1990s was changing. AIDS and urbanization had taken their toll, violence was on the increase. When, with her child in her arms, Caitlin was brutally attacked, Ron's family closed ranks and Caitlin found herself ostracized by the very people she had grown to love.
Passionate, hilarious, dramatic and heartbreaking in turn, PLACE OF REEDS is a story of the clash of cultures, the inflexibility of belief and traditions. It's a story about women - about Caitlin and her daughter, about Eliah and Madintwa, Ron's formidable mother and grandmother. Most of all, it's a story about one woman's courage, resilience - and ultimately, survival.
But the Botswana of the 1990s was changing. AIDS and urbanization had taken their toll, violence was on the increase. When, with her child in her arms, Caitlin was brutally attacked, Ron's family closed ranks and Caitlin found herself ostracized by the very people she had grown to love.
Passionate, hilarious, dramatic and heartbreaking in turn, PLACE OF REEDS is a story of the clash of cultures, the inflexibility of belief and traditions. It's a story about women - about Caitlin and her daughter, about Eliah and Madintwa, Ron's formidable mother and grandmother. Most of all, it's a story about one woman's courage, resilience - and ultimately, survival.
448 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2005
4 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Davies
16 books50 followersI'm a writer, teacher and journalist, the author of six novels and seven non-fiction books. Many of my early books were inspired by the 12 years I spent in Botswana, where I worked as a teacher, award winning human rights journalist and newspaper editor. My more recent books draw on the stories and history of London. These include The Ghost of Lily Painter, based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, and Family Likeness, inspired in part by the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle ‘Britain’s first black aristocrat’.
Some of my books have a swimming theme, such as Taking the Waters, about the bathing ponds and lido on Hampstead Heath, Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars.
Other books have a criminal theme, including Bad Girls: A History of Rebels & Renegades, nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks.
I mentor writers at https://www.storyboardwriter.com/
Some of my books have a swimming theme, such as Taking the Waters, about the bathing ponds and lido on Hampstead Heath, Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars.
Other books have a criminal theme, including Bad Girls: A History of Rebels & Renegades, nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks.
I mentor writers at https://www.storyboardwriter.com/
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 10, 2024
I'm not usually one for biographies but I loved this one. I've read a couple of Caitlin Davies' books and I thought they were decent but unremarkable. When I Googled her a few years ago, I quickly learned that her life story was more interesting than her fiction in many ways.
Davies moves to Botswana in the early 90s after graduating college and meeting her future husband at a college party. She describes her 12 years there in great detail, and it was riveting to hear about the culture and dynamics at play within the country. It read like a fiction book in many ways, and I loved hearing about her interactions with her husband, her step daughter and her in laws.
Would definitely recommend but aware that there's quite a harrowing account of sexual violence that may be disturbing to some
Davies moves to Botswana in the early 90s after graduating college and meeting her future husband at a college party. She describes her 12 years there in great detail, and it was riveting to hear about the culture and dynamics at play within the country. It read like a fiction book in many ways, and I loved hearing about her interactions with her husband, her step daughter and her in laws.
Would definitely recommend but aware that there's quite a harrowing account of sexual violence that may be disturbing to some
November 20, 2011
I didn't expect to like this book......but found myself fascinated by Caitlin Davies experiences of life in an African village. The descriptions of her moving account of becoming a part of her husbands culture and family enabled the reader to also experience some of the colour and texture of African village life.
Her story is both uplifting and at times horrifying due to her treatment at the hands of Government and local officials, particularly following a horrific attack.
I did however, lose some interest towards the end of the book and felt that it was maybe about 100 pages too long, hence the 3 stars.....would still recommend though!
Her story is both uplifting and at times horrifying due to her treatment at the hands of Government and local officials, particularly following a horrific attack.
I did however, lose some interest towards the end of the book and felt that it was maybe about 100 pages too long, hence the 3 stars.....would still recommend though!
October 11, 2013
familiarity is everything! i'm from Botswana which is where this book was based. i happened to meet half the characters (family) at a funeral up north it was almost like living in a book. i love her passion her idealism and her truth. it is both heartbreaking and elegant kudos!
August 6, 2021
A very brave telling of the author's move to Botswana after meeting a local while studying at a US university. She discovers the beauty of the country and the joy of learning a new language and gaining an extended family.
Life in a remote village, and the author's sincere efforts to meld with her new family was nevertheless doomed to fail after a stranger broke into her home while she was alone with her infant, raped and stabbed her multiple times.
After 12 years she returns to her native London with her small child, unable to escape the demons the events in Africa and the lack of support from her new in-laws had impacted on her.
I'll think about this book long after I've finished it.
Life in a remote village, and the author's sincere efforts to meld with her new family was nevertheless doomed to fail after a stranger broke into her home while she was alone with her infant, raped and stabbed her multiple times.
After 12 years she returns to her native London with her small child, unable to escape the demons the events in Africa and the lack of support from her new in-laws had impacted on her.
I'll think about this book long after I've finished it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2017
I'd lived in Botswana, so her descriptions of her life in Botswana, which is about 80% of the location of her story, brought back memories of Africa that were very real for me.
I think anyone who has lived in rural Africa, no matter where, can relate to her story.
It includes a vivid description of her being raped. As a man I found this very traumatic but also helpe me to understand what the experience is like as well as having to stand in court and face her rapist. It also dealt very clearly with the issue of post traumatic stress which also is not easy to understand but which this book describes very clearly
A challeging but important read.
I think anyone who has lived in rural Africa, no matter where, can relate to her story.
It includes a vivid description of her being raped. As a man I found this very traumatic but also helpe me to understand what the experience is like as well as having to stand in court and face her rapist. It also dealt very clearly with the issue of post traumatic stress which also is not easy to understand but which this book describes very clearly
A challeging but important read.
October 13, 2017
This is a good memoir of a woman struggling with culture and love at the same time. I love books about Botswana. I was attracted to the story from that angle, but feel in love with Davies' struggle to fit in and learn about a culture different than her own. She does a good job valuing Botswana's culture, while keeping her own sense of self. The story isn't always happy, but you always get a sense of love throughout the book. Love of her husband, her children and Botswana.
August 25, 2023
Loved the first half but started to get bored after that as it was a bit repetitive with daily goings on. Was shocked and saddened by how it all turned out.
June 7, 2013
Der gut aussehende Ron hat Bemerkenswertes aus seiner Heimat Botswana zu erzählen: dort können junge Männer kochen und Fluchen ist absolut verpönt. Die 24-jährige Engländerin Caitlin verliebt sich auf einer Fete während ihres Studiums in den USA in Ron. Um finanziell unabhängig zu sein, absolviert Caitlin in England eine Lehrerausbildung und bewirbt sich für den Schuldienst in Botswana. Ein Mitglied der Einstellungskommission kommt aus Botswana. In welchem Ort sie denn gern arbeiten würde, fragt er. In Maun, Rons Heimatort (Maun bedeutets in Setswana Schilf). Der Mann aus Botswana schüttelt sich vor Lachen bei der Vorstellung, dass eine Weiße von dem kleinen Ort im Okawango-Delta gehört haben könnte. 1990 beginnt Caitlin ihre Tätigkeit als Lehrerin in Maun, Ron arbeitet als Computerfachmann. Caitlin beginnt, die Landessprache Setswana zu lernen und fügt sich in Rons riesigem Familienclan ein, der von Eliah and Madintwa, seiner Mutter und seiner Großmutter zusammen gehalten wird. Caitlin fühlt sich inzwischen im Territorium der Flusspferde und Krokodile zu Hause und hat eine enge Beziehung zu gleichaltrigen Verwandten. Die Geburt ihrer Tochter Ruby sollte Ron und Caitlin eigentlich zu einem glücklichen Elternpaar machen. Doch Botswana hat sich nicht nur äußerlich durch Straßenbau, zunehmenden Tourismus und ein größeres Warenangebot verändert. Es ist das Land mit einer der höchsten AIDS-Infektionsraten der Welt; Caitlin erlebt in Rons Familie mehrere AIDS-Erkrankungen. Die Kinder der Verstorbenen werden von Verwandten adoptiert. Ron ist jetzt hauptsächlich unterwegs, um für den Unterhalt der wachsenden Großfamilie zu sorgen. Im ehemals friedlichen Botswana, in dem noch vor kurzer Zeit unhöfliches Verhalten bei Stammestreffen kritisiert wurde, steigt plötzlich die Zahl der Gewalttaten dramatisch an. Auch mit Fenstergittern, hinter hohen Mauern und bewacht von großen Hunden können die Einwohner sich nicht mehr sicher fühlen. Caitlin sieht schließlich keine Perspektive mehr für sich und ihre Tochter in Botswana. In der Zeitspanne von 12 Jahren, die Davies beschreibt, haben sich nicht nur die politischen Verhältnisse grundlegend geändert, Krankheit und Gewalt haben stärker noch die Beziehungen der Menschen untereinander beeinflusst.
Davies ist keine zweite Weiße Massai, sondern eine unkomplizierte, berufstätige Frau. Sie liebt Botswana, legt bei ihrer Heirat die englische Staatsbürgerschaft ab und zeigt sich bei ihrer Tätigkeit als Redakteurin und Herausgeberin einer Lokalzeitung an den lokalen und überregionalen Ereignissen interessiert. Über das gewohnte Botswana-Thema Hippo+Kroko hinaus gibt die Verfasserin mit britischem Understatement Einblick in das Leben einer afrikanischen Großfamilie.
Davies ist keine zweite Weiße Massai, sondern eine unkomplizierte, berufstätige Frau. Sie liebt Botswana, legt bei ihrer Heirat die englische Staatsbürgerschaft ab und zeigt sich bei ihrer Tätigkeit als Redakteurin und Herausgeberin einer Lokalzeitung an den lokalen und überregionalen Ereignissen interessiert. Über das gewohnte Botswana-Thema Hippo+Kroko hinaus gibt die Verfasserin mit britischem Understatement Einblick in das Leben einer afrikanischen Großfamilie.
October 19, 2014
Davies moved to Botswana on...on a hope, really. She'd met a Motswana, fallen in love, and was hopeful enough about their future to give life in Maun a chance. And for a long time it worked: she learned to love her life there, to connect with her lover's family; she and her lover married, and she got invested in work that really mattered to her. But assault brought cultural differences to the front of her relationship with her in-laws; what she needed at that point wasn't something that her life in Botswana could offer.
I started this book with some skepticism; I wasn't sure what to expect, and anyway, I could only find large-print copies. It took me some time to get into it, too, since she makes ample use of time jumps. She spent a long time in Botswana, though, and those time jumps allow her to focus on the parts of her story that she really wants to highlight. Along the way, she details a changing landscape in Maun. What feels like a safe, secure place evolves; relationships evolve; things get ever more complicated. Davies becomes a citizen of Botswana, but her perspective is not always welcome.
The climax, of course, comes when Davies is attacked and raped in her home. I knew it was coming, but my stomach still tied up in knots as her tale moved in that direction. It's hard to read. But she soldiers on in the writing (as she soldiered on in real life), and it ends up being quite powerful. When people were raped in books, Davies says, or on TV, when their rapes were reported in newspapers or magazines, there was never any after-effect. The drama was the rape; you rarely saw what happened next. Because what happened next was not dramatic, it was a day-to-day struggle (532).
She manages an articulate representation of how her relationships changed, showing them in their complexities. Her husband, for example, isn't written off; he simply has torn loyalties. She doesn't lose her love for Botswana, but she's no longer able to live there. Really interesting, sometimes painful, look at a part of her life.
I started this book with some skepticism; I wasn't sure what to expect, and anyway, I could only find large-print copies. It took me some time to get into it, too, since she makes ample use of time jumps. She spent a long time in Botswana, though, and those time jumps allow her to focus on the parts of her story that she really wants to highlight. Along the way, she details a changing landscape in Maun. What feels like a safe, secure place evolves; relationships evolve; things get ever more complicated. Davies becomes a citizen of Botswana, but her perspective is not always welcome.
The climax, of course, comes when Davies is attacked and raped in her home. I knew it was coming, but my stomach still tied up in knots as her tale moved in that direction. It's hard to read. But she soldiers on in the writing (as she soldiered on in real life), and it ends up being quite powerful. When people were raped in books, Davies says, or on TV, when their rapes were reported in newspapers or magazines, there was never any after-effect. The drama was the rape; you rarely saw what happened next. Because what happened next was not dramatic, it was a day-to-day struggle (532).
She manages an articulate representation of how her relationships changed, showing them in their complexities. Her husband, for example, isn't written off; he simply has torn loyalties. She doesn't lose her love for Botswana, but she's no longer able to live there. Really interesting, sometimes painful, look at a part of her life.
October 23, 2008
sad but challenging true story-not for the faint hearted
October 30, 2012
Excellent writing, fascinating story of cross racial relationships.
Chapter on childbirth way too long.
Chapter on childbirth way too long.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews