Do You Know Me

by Nancy Farmer, Shelley Jackson (Illustrator)

Although he is continually getting into trouble, Tapiwa's uncle becomes her best friend when he comes from Mozambique to live with her family in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Africa

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Nancy was born in 1941 in Phoenix and grew up in a hotel on the Arizona-Mexico border where she worked the switchboard at the age of nine. She also found time to hang out in the old state prison and the hobo jungle along the banks of the Colorado River. She attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, earning her BA in 1963. Instead of taking a regular job, she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to India (1963-1965). When she returned, she moved into a commune in Berkeley, sold newspapers on the street for a while, then got a job in the Entomology department at UC Berkeley and also took courses in Chemistry there. Restless, again, she decided to visit Africa. She and a friend tried to hitchhike by boat but the ship they'd selected turned out to be stolen and was boarded by the Coast Guard just outside the Golden Gate Bridge. Nancy eventually got to Africa on a legal ship. She spent more than a year on Lake Cabora Bassa in Mozambique, monitoring water weeds. Next she was hired to help control tsetse fly in the dense bush on the banks of the Zambezi in Zimbabwe. Part of the time she spent in the capital, Harare, and was introduced to her soon-to-be husband by his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. He proposed a week later. Harold and Nancy now live in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona on a major drug route for the Sinaloa Cartel. This is the setting for The Lord of Opium. They have a son, Daniel, who is in the U.S. navy.
Nancy's honors include the National Book Award for The House of the Scorpion and Newbery Honors for The Ear, the Eye and The Arm, A Girl Named Disaster and The House of the Scorpion. She is the author of nine novels, three picture books and a number of short stories. Her books have been translated into 26 languages.

Reviews

[Baylee Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books to reread as a child. I’ve been searching for it during recent visits home, and I thought I remembered it was called something like Finding Zimbabwe, but the setting is in Zimbabwe, so that’s probably why that stuck out in my memory.

Not sure if all copies have the black and white illustrations intermittently throughout (my copy is just a plain dark green hardcover with the title embossed in gold on the spine) but I love those sketches.

[Dietrich West-Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's book set in Africa in Zimbabwe. A middle school book. 4th or 5th grade reading level.
Humor. Self-relience is very important and a fish out of water is shown. And the importance of family. The sense of humor maybe hard for young children to understand. But a interesting read. Not sure what 4th and 5th graders will think.

[Mozart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a child. I thought the cover was beautiful and I remember thinking what the Motherland would have looked like.

I love this site just for the nostalgic factor.

[Noa · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was an annoying read. Not because it was written poorly, or that the plot was lacking. It was annoying because of how accurately it described a person from the bush coming to the mainland, city and reacting. It was the inland/Zimbabwean version of a FOB and that whole persona is so frustrating to me. you give em an inch and they fiepoto themselves into some sort of expensive mess without understanding or caring about the reprucussions. hoi. Doing things their way as if the culture is the same or should be the same as at home just because the people look the same. I guess it is just because they miss what they understood. In the book, the uncle was a FOB and the niece was always in constant danger of bodily harm or severe embarrassment. She was so sweet to keep trusting him and he was so crazy, he never listened to anybody but kept acting like he knew something. That was a really short book, but I spent as much time trying to get through it as I did with a 400 page book. It took me AGES- I just kept falling asleep and only waking to read another annoying situation of FOBSTER. so. obviously the themes are - assimilation - traditions - and that is all I can squeeze out of it now.

[Jaynann · Rating 3 out of 5]

REQUIRED AUTHOR NANCY FARMER
This book tells the story of Tapiwa who lives in Zimbabwe and her mischevious Uncle Zeka who comes to liver with her and her family. Tapiwa is having a hard time making friends in her fancy school and is struggling to find her place. Uncle Zeka shows her a different way of living life, the way he is used to living out in the country. Eventually Uncle Zeka must leave, but not before changing Tapiwa's views about herself and her culture.
I actually liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. It was a quick read and although it seemed to be very simple in plot line and character development it actually taught some very deep lessons. I would suggest this book for younger YA readers. Definitely a middle grade book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Nancy Farmer's first book published in the United States. Like many of her earlier books, it takes place in Africa.

Tapiwa lives with her family in Zimbabwe. Her father works at the bank and borrowed money from Tapiwa's rich aunt so she could attend a fancy school. Uncle Zeka comes to stay with them after his village is burned down. He is used to living in the bush and does many things that are strange to the city folk.

I laughed out loud several times during this book. Uncle Zeka is so incredibly crazy. I have had this book on my shelf for years (like A Girl Named Disaster). It's kind of sad that I haven't picked it up to read until now. It's nice when you find little hidden treasures in your library.

[GlenGG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Great for cultural respect, class issues, and family. It's funny, too! For 7 & 8 year olds.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great little taste of life in Zimbabwe. It is a cute story and adds a lot of little things about daily life there. I love most of Nancy Farmer's books.

[Srinidhi.R Srinidhi.R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would miss the Uncle Zeka very much..this is a really good book..