Ndima Ndima

by Tsitsi Mapepa

From debut Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Mapepa comes the saga of the four Taha sisters, and the indomitable matriarch who carried her daughters—and her community—through times of drought and violence in their Harare neighborhood.  From the red soil of her garden in Southgate 1, a crowded suburb of Harare, Nyeredzi watches the world. She knows not to venture beyond the grasses that fence them off from the bush, where the city’s violent criminals and young lovers claim the night. But on this red soil, she is sovereign. It is here where she learns how to kill snakes, how to fight off a man, and how to take what she is due. It is here where Nyeredzi and her three older sisters are raised, and where they will each find a different destiny. Decades prior, a young woman abandons a position of great power to seek justice in the second Chimurenga War, only to return to find her world in shambles. So Zuva Mutongi sets off to build a world of her own, raising four daughters—Nyeredzi, Hannah, Abigail, and Ruth—and defending them from the evils beyond their small Harare home. But when a letter from her long-estranged brother calls her back to a past life, Zuva must reconcile with her duty and heal the broken community she left behind. Tsitsi Mapepa’s vibrant debut is the history of a new Zimbabwe, with resilient women and men who raised a nation from its ashes. It is the chronicle of an L-shaped house, long awaited and much beloved, and the guests, welcome and unwelcome, who cross its threshold. It is the coming-of-age of four sisters, who will discover the secrets of womanhood on the volatile streets of Harare. But above all, it is a love song to one woman—a soldier, healer, chief, and mother—whose fierce devotion to her people is a testament to the bonds of blood that bind us all.

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Literary Fiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2023

Reviews

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to get access to a DRC from a new Zimbabwean novelist, Tsitsi Mapepa. This rather complicated story introduces us to Zuva and her daughter, Nyeredzi, who have moved with the rest of the family from Marondera to Harare. Mild spoilers follow.

Zuva’s involved backstory is that she is a Manyika princess and a former freedom fighter. Her husband, Mwedzi, is a man whose life she saved. Nyeredzi is their precocious daughter who discovers during the course of the novel that she has access to the ancestors. The family’s story is one of triumph and tragedy, linked with snippets of Zimbabwean history.

I have several criticisms, but please note that these are related to the advance copy. The novel tries to do far too much, and the author introduces several threads that really don’t go anywhere. Where there are descriptions, they are too detailed, leading the reader to think those things are of significance to the story, when they’re not. I did not find the descriptions of Zuva’s family’s wealth at all persuasive (gold and precious minerals lying around?), although the descriptions of her home in Manicaland are some of the best parts of the book. Zuva herself is not fully developed, and remains a kind of distant and yet also overdone character.

Parts of the novel fit very nicely into Nnedi Okorafor’s “Africanjujuism” genre; these are really wonderfully written, and made me wish more of the novel covered this. I was also delighted by Nyeredzi and her arc, and was glad she was one of the main characters. The spirits of the waterfall and cave (Selina and Heroshina) were also fascinating.

In all, this is a novel with potential, and I hope Mapepa continues to write more stories like this, and that she would perhaps explore the world she built in Manicaland in further novels.

Thanks to Catalyst and to Edelweiss for the DRC.

[Thabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to this book, I found out that the Zimbabwean word for the wax cloth we use as garments is zambia. In Zambia, we call this item a chitenge.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. It is a gorgeous tale set in post-colonial Zimbabwe with lively and intriguing characters that are very endearing. A highly recommended read!

[thelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Zimbabwean reading this book. Although fiction, I felt connected to my culture and many traditions that have not been passed down or no way of connection not living in my country and this gave me grasp and encouragement to ask difficult questions and dig further into my own culture and understanding of the history in Zimbabwe. It is not a perfect country but it made me smile through out and relate to so much.

Do I wish there was more Shona in this book? 100% yes but Tsitsi was able to depict this well and the glossary a big well done!
I wish there was more character development, on the other sisters.
Overall, a beautiful book. I hate ending a book that leaves me wanting more.

[Christopher Hutson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about intergenerational engagement, what it means to be a child of the modern world who is rooted in culture and tradition. And it's a nice window into Zimbabwe in the second generation after independence.

[Beryl Eichenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I received this book I was not only intrigued by the title but the simple, beautifully designed cover also invited me in. It said so much about the story between the pages and the mysticism that was held in the title. Debut author Tsitsi Mapepa was born in Zimbabwe but now lives in New Zealand, and this novel captures life in Zimbabwe and the struggle between tradition and modernity.
The structure is of individual stories, mostly in chronological order picking up themes from prior chapters but not necessarily. Spanning 13 years, from 1990 to 2003, it captures the coming of age of Nyeredzi, youngest of the four daughters of Zuva and Mwedzi. She has a special relationship with her mother and with nature. She is an observer, seeing what others do not. As she grows from playing in the red soil surrounding their home in Harare, it is to an astute and deeply conscious young woman. She is curious, mischievous and learns fast. Outspoken and fiercely honest she is the upheaval in the family. An upheaval that her mother perfectly understands and balances.
Their lives, diverted from their original purpose, are destined to revisit their origins. In a back track to the 1960s Zuva’s history is chronicled. She had left a position of great power in her village to fight in the second Chimurenga War - and for those unfamiliar with Zimbabwean history historical notes are provided as well as a glossary. Returning with her family, it is to a shambles where familial greed has taken hold. But healing and reconciliation have a variety of forms and the intricacies are clearly shown to the reader through the strength of the narrative and the character of Zuva.
Mapepe shows us a good family, a hardworking family, an admirable family whose care for their community in Harare is evident. It is a story of equality between husband and wife and that pull between African tradition and the expectations of the modern world.
Her writing is simple and the stories show her gift as a storyteller. She has expertly woven in the culture in a way that Westerners will understand. She has written of traditions and mysticism that are to be admired and respected and it is this that I particularly enjoyed. She writes of snakes in the soil around their new home – I was reminded of that phrase ’Snake in the grass’ which, whether intentionally or not resonated when several human ‘snakes’ attempted to steal both honour and material goods! Her use of language is fluid and she carefully constructs the places, the scenes and the characters into living, breathing beings. Her love of nature is evident and that link between earth and heaven is evident
So vivid are her descriptions that there was a sense of longing in her words and she admits to being homesick for her country. She has written an ode to the country she left – one that is well worth the read.
Thanks
to Catalyst Press for the review copy

[Anschen Conradie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#NdimaNdima – Tsitsi Mapepa
#CatalystPress

Rhodesia became known as Zimbabwe after the Second Chimurenga War, also known as the Rhodesian Bush War, in 1979. The name originates from the Shona words “dzimba dza mabwe”, translated as “house of stone”. The impact of war and the aftermath thereof, is the backbone of this novel.

In autumn of 1990 Zuva, her husband, Mwedzi, and their daughters Ruth, Abigail, Hannah and Ngeredzi, arrive in Harare. The red soil is rich, but the land antagonistic towards human habitation, impenetrable grass and venomous snakes rule the area. The river running through the settlement is the bearer of life, not only because of the gift of water, but also because it serves as sanctification for those stained with blood. The railway line does the exact opposite, claiming the lives of those choosing to leave this earth prematurely.

Ngeredzi is the youngest and the only sister not named after a biblical character. The reason becomes obvious: Medzi’s name translates as “moon”, Zuva’s “as sun”, and Neredzi as “star” and her name thus find meaning in the belief that, when the moon meets the sun, they create a ring of fire to bear a star.

Zuva, irreparably scarred by her years as a soldier in the War, is the ears and voice of the ancestors. Neredzi is the chosen successor, but her road to ascension is paved with existential questions and desperate attempts to reconcile her family’s Christian roots with the ancient beliefs and customs that are summoning her.

Although Zuva, as the arch matriarch, is a principal character in the novel, the story itself belongs to Neredzi. Her journey to her destiny, her connection with the earth, and her maturity as a human, are intertwined with treachery by members of her maternal clan, tumultuous political times, the deaths of kin, and her own insecurities, and plays out against the backdrop of the rebirth of a scarred country.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek

[Stella Schuyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at a library in an effort to read more New Zealand based authors, as well as explore literature from the African literature. I didn't expect to fulfil both of these expectations within the same book, but here we are with Ndima Ndima. I had absolutely no expectations, but wow, I was not disappointed.

This story follows Zuva and her four daughters Hannah, Abigail, Ruth, and especially her youngest - Nyeredzi and their life in the bustling, at times chaotic, Harere (the capital city of Zimbabwe). The perspective shifts between Zuva and Nyeredzi, although, as another reviewer has commented, this story really belongs to Nyeredzi - the circumstances that led to her being, and the person she becomes.

My only wish is that perhaps the book was slightly longer, so that some of the other characters could have been fleshed out a bit further - especially Zuva and her oldest daughter, Ruth. However, this small comment is certainly not enough to retract from the 5 stars that this book well and truly deserves.

I pray that the author will publish more in the near future! Until then, I will be returning my library copy and most certainly purchasing my own hardcopy to support Mapepa and her work.

[Yate Yate · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written. I loved how it is about culture, reconnecting with culture, strong complex characters, and deep instincts and deep love.