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Harare North
When he lands in Harare North, our unnamed protagonist carries nothing but a cardboard suitcase full of memories and a longing to be reunited with his childhood friend, Shingi.
He ends up in Shingi's Brixton squat where the inhabitants function at various levels of desperation. Shingi struggles to find meaningful work and to meet the demands of his family back home; Tsitsi makes a living renting her baby out to women defrauding the Social Services.
As our narrator struggles to make his way in 'Harare North', negotiating life outside the legal economy and battling with the weight of what he has left behind in strife-torn Zimbabwe, every expectation and preconception is turned on its head.
This is the story of a stranger in a strange land - one of the thousands of illegal immigrants seeking a better life in England - with a past he is determined to hide.
He ends up in Shingi's Brixton squat where the inhabitants function at various levels of desperation. Shingi struggles to find meaningful work and to meet the demands of his family back home; Tsitsi makes a living renting her baby out to women defrauding the Social Services.
As our narrator struggles to make his way in 'Harare North', negotiating life outside the legal economy and battling with the weight of what he has left behind in strife-torn Zimbabwe, every expectation and preconception is turned on its head.
This is the story of a stranger in a strange land - one of the thousands of illegal immigrants seeking a better life in England - with a past he is determined to hide.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 30, 2024
A really challenging read, with a difficult protagonist in a difficult situation.
November 24, 2024
I enjoyed reading the book and I really laughed a lot!
I also realized that life wasn’t any easier in Harare North than it was back home.
I think Swahili speakers could definitely speak the same language as the Zimbabweans as I could understand most of the words he used without need for a translation.
I also realized that life wasn’t any easier in Harare North than it was back home.
I think Swahili speakers could definitely speak the same language as the Zimbabweans as I could understand most of the words he used without need for a translation.
June 7, 2025
I'm honestly baffled at the thought of this book only having a 3.67 rating.
The beauty of this book is that the characters and the plot hold no political incentive. It's a nuanced illustration of how real people -individuals- experienced post colonial Zimbabwe and migration.
There's no leaning towards one political agenda or pointed commentary about values surrounding freedom and democracy. Everything that happens in this book just is.
What I admire most is that the main character is a person- not a vessel for political exposition. He's quick witted and takes things as they are as he navigates the pursuit of a better life against the odds- all while remaining authentic in his prose.
Despite being nameless he holds an identity of his own. It's not dictated by his origins or his final destination. He's an amalgamation of the many things unfolding around him.
Absolutely Stunning. Worth a read.
The beauty of this book is that the characters and the plot hold no political incentive. It's a nuanced illustration of how real people -individuals- experienced post colonial Zimbabwe and migration.
There's no leaning towards one political agenda or pointed commentary about values surrounding freedom and democracy. Everything that happens in this book just is.
What I admire most is that the main character is a person- not a vessel for political exposition. He's quick witted and takes things as they are as he navigates the pursuit of a better life against the odds- all while remaining authentic in his prose.
Despite being nameless he holds an identity of his own. It's not dictated by his origins or his final destination. He's an amalgamation of the many things unfolding around him.
Absolutely Stunning. Worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews