The War as I Saw It: In Rhodesia, Now Zimbabwe, Through the Eyes of a Black Boy

by George Matuvi

In The War as I Saw It , George Makonese Matuvi invites us into the world of a young boy living through a war he doesn’t understand. As violence drives his family from their home in the mountains to the streets of Zimbabwe’s towns and then cities, the author shares his family’s story with honesty, composure and a touch of humour. Interspersed within this tale of flight, hardship and the eventual return to rebuild, Matuvi shares stories of his life as a child, from making soccer balls out of discarded plastic bags to the tales his father told around the fire at night, adding depth and joy to his portrait of a family struggling with displacement. The War as I Saw It is not a tragedy, though there were many tragedies during the war, it is a story of love, of strength in difficulty and of the ingenuity of one family as they cope with forces beyond their control.

114 pages, Paperback

Published August 29, 2023

Reviews

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy memoirs about people and places I know little about. This book was a perfect way to learn about Zimbabwe and its turbulent past. Very enlightening.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to River Street Writes and Wolsak & Wynn for sending this book my way to read and enjoy.

I requested this book because I thought it sounded very interesting and I wanted to learn more about other parts of the world and how they live and the cultures. I haven’t read a book about Zimbabwe and this one was a great start to learning. About events that happened. It’s hard for me to fathom as someone living in a first world country that people have to leave their houses and hide frequently to not be captured or murdered. I can’t imagine being scared all the time and it’s just normal. It’s so sad to me. I am glad that George’s family was able to make it out okay and restart their lives and I would read more of his life, especially how he ended up in Canada.
I would recommend this to other readers to educate themselves and just see how other people live.

[Hairy Wombat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was on the edge of my seat

[E.R. Yatscoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally, I avoid books that need grants to get published. This one was okay