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When Rain Clouds Gather
Macmillan Readers are a range of contemporary and classic titles specially retold for learners of English. Levels are carefully graded from Starter to Upper Intermediate to help students choose the right material for their abilty.
80 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 1969
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July 17, 2016
It was Alice Walker who advised me to read Bessie Head, and it’s true, she knows how to induce tenderness & sympathy for her characters, and fill a scenario that other authors would make gloomy and grim with sweet passion and sunlight, with humanity and warmth.
There is quite a strong author voice in this novel, a strong hold maintained on the material by the author. Yet the feeling I have is that the characters are not her puppets, but real souls who travel their own paths through the beautiful space she has drawn out and mapped. Bessie is like a wise storyteller interpreting a true tale at the fireside, and in her hands everything springs to glowing green life as if the rains have fallen.
There is quite a strong author voice in this novel, a strong hold maintained on the material by the author. Yet the feeling I have is that the characters are not her puppets, but real souls who travel their own paths through the beautiful space she has drawn out and mapped. Bessie is like a wise storyteller interpreting a true tale at the fireside, and in her hands everything springs to glowing green life as if the rains have fallen.
October 22, 2018
If I were to give a more definite rating to the book it would be a 3.5 which means it is a good book. An exile fleeing Apartheid South Africa seeks refuge in a small rural town in Botswana and finds himself in the middle of a tussle for power and plans for development.
Set in the 1960s, during Botswana's independence, Bessie Head who was a refugee in Botswana herself writes splendidly of rural Botswana. I liked the way Bessie Head writes romance, her ability to incorporate the landscape, climate and vegetation of Botswana and the customs and general way of life of the Batswana in her prose, even though it felt like it got in the way of the story at times.
Set in the 1960s, during Botswana's independence, Bessie Head who was a refugee in Botswana herself writes splendidly of rural Botswana. I liked the way Bessie Head writes romance, her ability to incorporate the landscape, climate and vegetation of Botswana and the customs and general way of life of the Batswana in her prose, even though it felt like it got in the way of the story at times.
December 26, 2022
The Publisher Says: The poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, in the heart of rural Botswana, offers a haven to the exiles gathered there. Makhaya, a political refugee from South Africa, becomes involved with an English agricultural expert and the villagers as they struggle to upgrade their traditional farming methods with modern techniques. The pressures of tradition, the opposition of the local chief, and, above all, the harsh climate threaten to bring tragedy to the community, but strangely, there remains a hope for the future.
My Review: I read this in the middle 1970s. It came into the Old Quarry branch of the Austin Public Library one fine afternoon and I pounced upon it with glee. I was really interested in how white people who resisted apartheid rebuilt their lives elsewhere...I disliked my sister's recommended book, The Grass Is Singing, because it was tediously self-satisfied. This book focused on what the author's mouthpiece was going to do, not how her itty-pweshus "oh motherhood's a bore and men are only good for one thing and not all that good at it to boot and I'm so so Over It All" self felt.
I really dislike Doris Lessing. I really liked Bessie Head, though. I realize now that I'm *hack*ty-three I never read another book by her. Permaybehaps time to do so.
My Review: I read this in the middle 1970s. It came into the Old Quarry branch of the Austin Public Library one fine afternoon and I pounced upon it with glee. I was really interested in how white people who resisted apartheid rebuilt their lives elsewhere...I disliked my sister's recommended book, The Grass Is Singing, because it was tediously self-satisfied. This book focused on what the author's mouthpiece was going to do, not how her itty-pweshus "oh motherhood's a bore and men are only good for one thing and not all that good at it to boot and I'm so so Over It All" self felt.
I really dislike Doris Lessing. I really liked Bessie Head, though. I realize now that I'm *hack*ty-three I never read another book by her. Permaybehaps time to do so.
July 29, 2016
A wonderful story of hardship, tragedy, and hope. A black South African fugitive from justice, a young British expert in farming, two wise old villagers, an evil and cowardly chief, his jovial and womanizing brother who's also a chief, a lonely and proud woman in love and other characters populate this story of a village in Botswana struggling to survive in a harsh climate to take on new innovative farming techniques while coming to terms with their own inner struggles.
February 10, 2015
This book is part of my required reading for the Unisa BA course that I’m busy with at time of writing, so please forgive me if I go a little deeper with this review than my regular offerings.
Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a journalist, which naturally made her more outspoken and vulnerable to persecution due to her opinions, which were contrary to the government of the time. Consequently, she went to live in Botswana in 1964 as a refugee rather than endure the apartheid regime.
These issues lend authenticity to When the Rain Clouds Gather, as one of the primary characters, Makhaya, is a South African insurgent who has fled to Botswana, where he plans to live in exile. He is caught in a social no man’s land – a wanted man in South Africa, and unwanted by elements in Botswana.
In the novel, Head spends a lot of time examining the human condition, especially in the conflict that arises between traditionalism, colonialism and the need for progressive thought. Botswana at the time is a land administered by the British, but is still ruled by tribal chiefs. Great disparity exists between a wealthy elite (the chiefs) and the common folk. There is little in the way of education, and people prefer to stick to their time-honoured traditions as a way of life.
This in itself would not present much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the Botswanan countryside is in the grips of a severe drought, and traditions have exacerbated issues such as soil erosion, which only compound the people’s plight. Much of the novel is related to the discussion of agriculture, and people’s relationship with the land and each other.
Head puts great stock in the powerful metaphor of water in this thirstland, from which the title of the book derives.
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. that is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our heart.”
People are central to this story – as agents of change and progress, as nurturers, and of course obstacles that result in great evil.
Primary to the narrative is Makhaya, who is troubled, and whose faith in people has been damaged. When he arrives at the village of Golema Mmidi, he is rootless and has no real plans going forward. He has a lot of residual anger too, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and of not being able to create the change he’d like to see. We learn that he is a man who is dissatisfied with traditional values and who also has no great love for authority figures (which is understandable, considering that he has fled South Africa).
Yet in the village, he encounters a white man, Gilbert, who has also rejected his home (Britain) for the life of a pioneer in Africa. In the UK, Gilbert is stifled, forced to live according to social conventions. He is once again coming up against tradition in Africa, yet he is a dreamer who sees boundless potential for prosperity, and here he feels he is in a position to inspire those around him to strive for this brighter future.
Together, Makhaya and Gilbert work for a change for the better in the village, because they are able to think outside the box and are also not afraid to try new methods when they see that the old ways aren’t working.
But we are also faced with the two chiefs. Paramount Chief Sekoto is not a bad man, though he enjoys the many fruits of his powerful position. It is at his behest that the biggest decisions affecting his lands and his people are made. For all his faults, he is a generous man, and he has a good relationship with the British administrators and his own people. Although his younger brother Matenge is the opposite to him, that same generosity of spirit sees him give Matenge the benefit of his doubt.
Chief Matenge rules over Golema Mmdi but he is a small-minded, petty man, concerned that he should be respected because of who and what he is. For him it is all about the principle of being the one in power rather than caring for and guiding a community as a true leader. Consequently, Matenge sees the free-spirited Makhaya as a threat to his authority, and machinates against him.
Perhaps the most telling is Head’s way of framing the attitudes of the tradition-bound chiefs:
“The Matenges and Paramount Chiefs Sekotos did not have to lift up the spades and dig the earth. It cost them nothing to say yes, yes, yes, build your dam because we have no water in this country. But it gave them deep and perverted joy to say no, no, no.”
Two women feature. One is Maria, the daughter of the elder Dinorego, who is an apt counterpart for Gilbert. Their courtship takes place in fits and starts, but its conclusion is nonetheless a cause for joy in an otherwise bleak setting. Paulina, the other primary female character, has her sights set on Makhaya, but they must first see eye to eye, and make important realisations about themselves before anything can move ahead.
In the end, life goes on for the villagers, despite death, despite drought, and the beautiful simplicity of love and family, and their interconnectedness with each other and the land. All this continues, despite the intentions of the powers that be – the joy and goodness of people flow through everything.
Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a journalist, which naturally made her more outspoken and vulnerable to persecution due to her opinions, which were contrary to the government of the time. Consequently, she went to live in Botswana in 1964 as a refugee rather than endure the apartheid regime.
These issues lend authenticity to When the Rain Clouds Gather, as one of the primary characters, Makhaya, is a South African insurgent who has fled to Botswana, where he plans to live in exile. He is caught in a social no man’s land – a wanted man in South Africa, and unwanted by elements in Botswana.
In the novel, Head spends a lot of time examining the human condition, especially in the conflict that arises between traditionalism, colonialism and the need for progressive thought. Botswana at the time is a land administered by the British, but is still ruled by tribal chiefs. Great disparity exists between a wealthy elite (the chiefs) and the common folk. There is little in the way of education, and people prefer to stick to their time-honoured traditions as a way of life.
This in itself would not present much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the Botswanan countryside is in the grips of a severe drought, and traditions have exacerbated issues such as soil erosion, which only compound the people’s plight. Much of the novel is related to the discussion of agriculture, and people’s relationship with the land and each other.
Head puts great stock in the powerful metaphor of water in this thirstland, from which the title of the book derives.
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. that is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our heart.”
People are central to this story – as agents of change and progress, as nurturers, and of course obstacles that result in great evil.
Primary to the narrative is Makhaya, who is troubled, and whose faith in people has been damaged. When he arrives at the village of Golema Mmidi, he is rootless and has no real plans going forward. He has a lot of residual anger too, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and of not being able to create the change he’d like to see. We learn that he is a man who is dissatisfied with traditional values and who also has no great love for authority figures (which is understandable, considering that he has fled South Africa).
Yet in the village, he encounters a white man, Gilbert, who has also rejected his home (Britain) for the life of a pioneer in Africa. In the UK, Gilbert is stifled, forced to live according to social conventions. He is once again coming up against tradition in Africa, yet he is a dreamer who sees boundless potential for prosperity, and here he feels he is in a position to inspire those around him to strive for this brighter future.
Together, Makhaya and Gilbert work for a change for the better in the village, because they are able to think outside the box and are also not afraid to try new methods when they see that the old ways aren’t working.
But we are also faced with the two chiefs. Paramount Chief Sekoto is not a bad man, though he enjoys the many fruits of his powerful position. It is at his behest that the biggest decisions affecting his lands and his people are made. For all his faults, he is a generous man, and he has a good relationship with the British administrators and his own people. Although his younger brother Matenge is the opposite to him, that same generosity of spirit sees him give Matenge the benefit of his doubt.
Chief Matenge rules over Golema Mmdi but he is a small-minded, petty man, concerned that he should be respected because of who and what he is. For him it is all about the principle of being the one in power rather than caring for and guiding a community as a true leader. Consequently, Matenge sees the free-spirited Makhaya as a threat to his authority, and machinates against him.
Perhaps the most telling is Head’s way of framing the attitudes of the tradition-bound chiefs:
“The Matenges and Paramount Chiefs Sekotos did not have to lift up the spades and dig the earth. It cost them nothing to say yes, yes, yes, build your dam because we have no water in this country. But it gave them deep and perverted joy to say no, no, no.”
Two women feature. One is Maria, the daughter of the elder Dinorego, who is an apt counterpart for Gilbert. Their courtship takes place in fits and starts, but its conclusion is nonetheless a cause for joy in an otherwise bleak setting. Paulina, the other primary female character, has her sights set on Makhaya, but they must first see eye to eye, and make important realisations about themselves before anything can move ahead.
In the end, life goes on for the villagers, despite death, despite drought, and the beautiful simplicity of love and family, and their interconnectedness with each other and the land. All this continues, despite the intentions of the powers that be – the joy and goodness of people flow through everything.
May 30, 2020
4.5/5
It was he, Makhaya, the individual, who was seeking his own life because he was fearful of the living death a man could be born into.I think I've been spending too much time in the sanctioned side of things, or it least in an area that treats the "West" as an origin point and throws a tantrum when such an action is not taken too seriously. It makes for a subconsciously expected progression of humanization that runs the risk of terming this work of Head's "modern" when, really, it is a matter of cultural relativism, not chronology. I picked this up largely because of how phenomenally Maru went, and this ran such a vein of similarly quality content, if with an admittedly didactic ending, that I'll be scooping anything else of hers up when I get the opportunity. It's the case of a story that, for the longest time, was considered the property of the small English village: tradition, change, good, evil, hard won gains and nominally banal tragedies, albeit here the scene is the far flung future, not the desperately gripped past, and the strive for national identity is a matter of revolution, not empire. Many questions are posed and even a few answers, but I am much more interested in an innate grappling with the complexity of black and white, peace and violence, female and male, and many another artificially crystallization of antithesis and anti-Christ that plays as much a role in the thus far sanctioned public murder of George Floyd as it did in Head's traumatic coming of age all those decades ago. This particular work has a happier ending than what is suggested by such references, but that is a matter of holism, not paradox.
All those authorities had kicked up such a dust about his allowing a "security risk" to settle in Golema Mmidi, but they never had occasion to come out into the bush to see how children died, while he, George, saw everything, every day.Knowing the bare bones points of Head's history, it's rather obvious how much of what she writes stems from her own experiences. South Africa, Botswana, exile: an othering that comes about even more blatantly in 'Maru' through not being mitigated by aspects of intelligence, authority, and maleness on the part of the protagonist. Here, there is also a protagonist, but one cannot really say the hero of the story is any one person, but perhaps the future, or Botswana, or experimental agriculture, for that is what draws every plot point together in the midst of abject poverty bordered by an enslaving nightmare. For as much as one could describe the book as being a story of such, it is also one of love, triumph, and redemption, although the last is built on the shakiest grounds and does the equivalent of offering a band aid in the time of open heart surgery. It is an intensely political tale, but always on the level of life is politics is life, a theme that I seem to need regular partaking of in my literature if I want to maintain both my stability and my edge. This second read of Head has established her as one of a few names that I feel comfortable coming back to until either I run out of writing or find her growing stale, and I'd honestly be very surprised by the occurrence of the latter. With her, my ignorance regarding her chosen setting tends to work to my advantage, and honestly, in these days of war mongering presidents, economy-sucking billionaires, and my entire country heading towards a white supremacist capitalist apocalypse, I'll gladly find my happiness in a sunset, the bond between a man and a girl child, and plans for sustaining life founded on solid science and even more solid comradery.
Surely, she reasoned, it was far better to have a country of promiscuous women than a country of dead women?It's rather disgusting how far afield I must go to get something decent in literature these days. Then again, any author who appears on the 1001 and associated lists is hardly "far", I suppose, but considering how quickly the contemporary literary scene likes to bury such figures as Head and co., my reading of her is hardly uncontested ground. I would hope her brevity at least draws in those who otherwise frolic in the same old same old that averages five times in page length, but what I wouldn't give for something of the size of Wizard of the Crow (another magnificent work by another magnificent author, by the way) that is of her authorship. There's a chance her compositional strengths wouldn't have been suited for such, but the trends of the extremely short works and the frequently dying young when it comes to authors who are women of color are too pervasive for me to ignore. There's many a contemporary work that goes against such dictums, but it is expensive to stay on the cutting edge of published literature, and I am content to shape my goals around my circumstances for the time being. Long story short, read Head if you haven't, and read even more of her if you have. The intelligence, compassion, and self-reflexivity with which she approaches her material are all marks of a truly great writer; and whether you are seduced, shaken, or delighted by her narrative, you will always have something to think about.
"Makhaya," she said softly. "You mustn't think I'm a cheap woman, but I love you."
"Why cheap?" he said, amused. "There are no cheap women. Even those you buy love you, while we men rarely do. Perhaps I'll find out what love is like as we go along together."
abandoned
October 17, 2015I previously read Maru, by the same author, and found it well-written but disturbing, given that the central "romance" consists of the male protagonist stalking, manipulating and putting down the female protagonist. So I expected to really enjoy another book by Head, with a different plot. Unfortunately, while this one isn't disturbing, nor is it engaging. The book tells us a lot about the characters and they tell each other a lot about agriculture, without their ever coming to life in a way that would draw me in. I read 121 out of 188 pages, until I realized there was no reason to continue to drag myself through something that isn't entertaining. Too many other books are waiting!
August 12, 2016
Bessie Head's When Rain Clouds Gather was a delight to read. About a South African exiled in Botswana and there has to deal with chiefs, politics, a man who is eager to change the circumstances in a village. I really liked the themes of love, jealousy and power struggles that are handled in this book - between authorities and ordinary people; between men and women and between men. It had a tragic end which also bring forth a realisation about love.
January 19, 2010
Bessie Head manages to saturate “When Rain Clouds Gather” with a thoroughly winning concoction of generous bitterness. Though numerous antagonists, injustices and misfortunes beset the sympathetic characters of her book, they don’t sour the atmosphere or poison the narrative—this is refreshingly different from some of the continent’s unrepentantly sourpuss authors like Achebe and Coetzee.
The balance of discontent and gratitude that carries the novel also exists within some of the more nuanced characters, such as Makhaya and Paulina. Though a few stock characters of the African village drama (like gossipy clutches of socially hostile women or the fawning chief’s toady) still wander through “When Rain Clouds Gather,” Head has made an effort to fill her fictional village with misfits, thinkers and eccentrics: the sort of characters that add depth to their surroundings.
Considering that the book’s subject matter (the combination of human energy and ideas that are necessary to transform a traditional village’s attitude towards agriculture and subsistence farming) might seem a bit dry (complete with droughts), Head’s sense of humor (also dry) is quite an asset:
“Never mind if the rain was no longer what it used to be in the good old days when the rivers ran the whole year round and dams were always full. You just could not see beyond tradition and its safety to the amazing truth you were starving—and that tough little plants existed that were easy to grow and well able to stand up to rigorous conditions and could provide you with food.”
“Inside the fat, overstuffed body was a spirit that fiercely resisted intense, demanding, vicious people.”
Or, “It was as though a whole society had connived at producing a race of degenerate men by stressing their superiority in the law and overlooking how it affected them as individuals.”
I’ll be reading more of Bessie Head because of her ability to produce such precise and comical characterizations and because of her ability to keep social justice at the front of her mind without contracting a discouragement-induced attitude problem.
The balance of discontent and gratitude that carries the novel also exists within some of the more nuanced characters, such as Makhaya and Paulina. Though a few stock characters of the African village drama (like gossipy clutches of socially hostile women or the fawning chief’s toady) still wander through “When Rain Clouds Gather,” Head has made an effort to fill her fictional village with misfits, thinkers and eccentrics: the sort of characters that add depth to their surroundings.
Considering that the book’s subject matter (the combination of human energy and ideas that are necessary to transform a traditional village’s attitude towards agriculture and subsistence farming) might seem a bit dry (complete with droughts), Head’s sense of humor (also dry) is quite an asset:
“Never mind if the rain was no longer what it used to be in the good old days when the rivers ran the whole year round and dams were always full. You just could not see beyond tradition and its safety to the amazing truth you were starving—and that tough little plants existed that were easy to grow and well able to stand up to rigorous conditions and could provide you with food.”
“Inside the fat, overstuffed body was a spirit that fiercely resisted intense, demanding, vicious people.”
Or, “It was as though a whole society had connived at producing a race of degenerate men by stressing their superiority in the law and overlooking how it affected them as individuals.”
I’ll be reading more of Bessie Head because of her ability to produce such precise and comical characterizations and because of her ability to keep social justice at the front of her mind without contracting a discouragement-induced attitude problem.
December 19, 2020
This is a marvelous novel, so full of wisdom, reflection, and nuance, packed in a beautiful story.
For example, while the book is mainly about uplifting villagers from subsistence and poverty, liberating them from oppression by white men and local elites, Bessie Head writes:
Simply fantastic!
For example, while the book is mainly about uplifting villagers from subsistence and poverty, liberating them from oppression by white men and local elites, Bessie Head writes:
(...) the majority of poverty-stricken people, who were content to scrape a living off a thin ribbon of earth. There wasn't much bother and fuss about subsistence living either. Large chunks of the year went by just watching the sunrise and sunset, and who knew too if the subsistence man did not prefer it this way? It was easy, almost comparable to the life of the idle rich, except that the poor man starved the year round. Not in Africa had the outcry been raised, but in the well-fed countries.
Simply fantastic!
July 25, 2017
Reading the book was literary bliss. I had to pause regularly and ponder on the strong, insightful and thought provoking viewpoints that Head made through her characters. The author once again draws from her personal experiences. She effectively psychoanalyzes her characters as she relates their eventful journeys. She relates of a foreigner in a strange land . Of alienation. Loneliness. Being different. Of outspoken proactive , educated women . Of a woman Maria with a double personality. It was written about Maria that " there were two women in her- one was soft and meditative and the other was full of ruthless common sense, and the two uncongenial personalities clashed and contradicted each other all the time" All of the above being Head's personality traits.
The setting is a small semi dessert village in Botswana. The village was mainly a haven for exiles and individuals who had experienced personal tragedy and were seeking peace, freedom, and a new home.
What resonated with me was that exile is not automatic freedom. The grass may not be greener on the other side. Makhanya fled South Africa, but encountered status and tribal prejudices in Botswana instead. Also that tribalism, racism and hatred does not surpass love, human generosity and selflessness.
The book is also loud on the fact that, that which is different should not be automatically dismissed or shunned. That may be where sustainable, fresh solutions could originate, when the uniqueness is embraced, implemented and allowed to flourish.
Bessie managed to successfully transport me to the world of chief Seroke and Matenge. Where as a reader I felt in the thick of things, feeling the scorching sun, witnessing the death of animals, and tobacco farming . I could clearly witness the torn clothes, bare feet, and malnourished people and animals.
A classic rubber stamped by great wisdom and personal experience.
The setting is a small semi dessert village in Botswana. The village was mainly a haven for exiles and individuals who had experienced personal tragedy and were seeking peace, freedom, and a new home.
What resonated with me was that exile is not automatic freedom. The grass may not be greener on the other side. Makhanya fled South Africa, but encountered status and tribal prejudices in Botswana instead. Also that tribalism, racism and hatred does not surpass love, human generosity and selflessness.
The book is also loud on the fact that, that which is different should not be automatically dismissed or shunned. That may be where sustainable, fresh solutions could originate, when the uniqueness is embraced, implemented and allowed to flourish.
Bessie managed to successfully transport me to the world of chief Seroke and Matenge. Where as a reader I felt in the thick of things, feeling the scorching sun, witnessing the death of animals, and tobacco farming . I could clearly witness the torn clothes, bare feet, and malnourished people and animals.
A classic rubber stamped by great wisdom and personal experience.
January 18, 2019
After thoroughly enjoying Ngugi’s ‘A Grain of Wheat’and filled with a love for the African writing, I set on to read this book. I was not disappointed! This book amazed me, moved me and changed me. It follows a Black South African in search for refuge in Botswana. He finds himself in the company of Dinorego, a sweet old man who leads him to the village of Golema Mmidi. How will this village of misfits receive him? How will this community survive and thrive in the brutal landscape of Botswana? This is a tale of the human journey. A tale of triumph over trials and love over hate. Oh, Botswana! I loved how agricultural practices are incorporated into the plot. Bessie Head is truly an amazing writer. 5 stars!
My favourite quote: You may see no rives on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather in the sky. It is all in our hearts.
PS: I read this masterpiece during the dry season or ‘summer’ of my country. I could not help but draw parallels between my world and that of Golema Mmidi. I have always wanted to visit the Kalahari Desert. If I could live in the desert, wow, my dreams.
(Side note) I want to be a farmer in the future so the agricultural ways of Gilbert had me really inspired and fascinated. I kind of, low-key, fell in love with Makhaya, though I wish Bessie delved more into his love story with Paulie. Hey Mach, do you have a spare hut I can use when I visit?
I hope to read more of Bessie’s works in the near future. Is tomorrow a good time?
My favourite quote: You may see no rives on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather in the sky. It is all in our hearts.
PS: I read this masterpiece during the dry season or ‘summer’ of my country. I could not help but draw parallels between my world and that of Golema Mmidi. I have always wanted to visit the Kalahari Desert. If I could live in the desert, wow, my dreams.
(Side note) I want to be a farmer in the future so the agricultural ways of Gilbert had me really inspired and fascinated. I kind of, low-key, fell in love with Makhaya, though I wish Bessie delved more into his love story with Paulie. Hey Mach, do you have a spare hut I can use when I visit?
I hope to read more of Bessie’s works in the near future. Is tomorrow a good time?
October 28, 2017
Bessie Head's books are short but is filled to the brim with characters who become elements of study. In When Rain clouds gather, she steps back from story telling and allows her characters to teach the readers who are observing in on the changes that's starting to take place in the quiet rural farming village. The story is a study in disappointment and hope. Head plays in twos; be it in Maru or in When rain clouds gather, she uses dualism to further her ideas and spin a twist on contradiction.
Personally, When Rain clouds gather held a sense of familiarity. The writing is slow, often satirical and self deprecating humor. It didn't hit home the way Maru did though still very good.
Personally, When Rain clouds gather held a sense of familiarity. The writing is slow, often satirical and self deprecating humor. It didn't hit home the way Maru did though still very good.
March 28, 2021
Makhaya flees oppression due to both apartheid and tribal customs in South Africa and ends up in a small village in Botswana, a country which will reach independence from Britain in the near future. In the village, he becomes involved in an agricultural development project and is slowly absorbed in the society. A book about finding oneself in a world. I'm glad I finally read this author as I enjoyed the spare prose and characters.
July 6, 2007
I didn't think it was possible for rain clouds to gather on a daily basis and never a drop of rain. A story of hope, new beginnings, and pain. The tease of clouds above without a drop to give is a reflection of the people that try to rule this Botswana village, but sometimes a drop will come and changes will be made.
August 18, 2020
4.5 stars rounded down. If you only read one book on Boswana, skip Norman Rush's Mating and choose When Rain Clouds Gather.
November 19, 2020
"Even the trees were dying, from the roots upward," he said. "Does everything dies like this?"
"No," she said. "You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our heart."
He nodded his head, fully grasping this in its deepest meaning. There was always something on this earth man was forced to love and worship by reason of its absence. People in cloudy, misty climates worshipped the sun, and people of semi-desert countries worshipped the rain.
February 28, 2018
Like all of Bessie Head's books from the first sentences you feel you are in good hands. She is simply a great writer. She is good at so many different aspects of storytelling. She writes complicated narratives without over-explaining or talking down to the reader. She delves into history and society without making that setting the main aim of her books. Above all she writes incredible characters. In the fantastic first chapter, When the Rain Clouds Gather, Head offers a master class in characterisation as we meet Makhaya, on the run from South Africa and trying to find his way across the border into Botswana. We are given intriguing glimpses into his character but Head never feels the need to tell us everything. Throughout the book she lets her characters show themselves through their action.
The quality tales off after the beautifully written first chapter and takes a while to refind its flow. Makhaya meets Gilbert, a white man interested in agricultural practices and the improvement of work on the land in Botswana and helps him with his projects in a Botswanan border village. Head describes many of the projects in great detail but always keeps it relevant to the plot and the descriptions of the people and the village. The village characters are introduced one and by and Head never allows a character to escape as a mere cut out, everyone is fleshed out. The angry Chief, the older lady, Paulina who falls for Makhaya; every character is given a back story, clear motives, a part to play.
The story seems to meander at times but it is never boring. Village life is shown through the celebrations and traditions, the gossip and the rumours, the work of the woman while the men are out in the fields, the descriptions of the land and the weather that rules their existence, the contrasts and conflicts between Gilbert's desire to improve their lot and the traditions of tribal culture that hold him back, the projects they untake (Makhaya and the woman beginning the tabacco plantations is a great scene, imbued with such a human essence). Head's dialogues keep the novel fresh and real; her handling and representation of the Botswanan reality she wants to present is deft, critical and sympathetic. In a short 200 pages she transports us to a corner of the world we would otherwise never know, shows us the people their and their lives.
The final chapters are more direct, driven by the romance of Makhaya and Paulina which is never oversimplified and given time to develop. The scenes on the cattle fields are the one horrific element to the story and the imagery is disturbing and powerful, yet in essence this a book full of positive energy, work and action, an impulse towards change. The scene when the villages gather to defend Paulina from the Chief's accusations, whatever they may be, epitifies this feeling. Head leaves us with many loose threads, a feeling that life isn't easy or safe, but that it is also hopeful. Still not my favourite (the impact of The Cardinals makes it, for me, the best piece of work by Bessie Head) but another great piece of writing from a master of the craft. 7
The quality tales off after the beautifully written first chapter and takes a while to refind its flow. Makhaya meets Gilbert, a white man interested in agricultural practices and the improvement of work on the land in Botswana and helps him with his projects in a Botswanan border village. Head describes many of the projects in great detail but always keeps it relevant to the plot and the descriptions of the people and the village. The village characters are introduced one and by and Head never allows a character to escape as a mere cut out, everyone is fleshed out. The angry Chief, the older lady, Paulina who falls for Makhaya; every character is given a back story, clear motives, a part to play.
The story seems to meander at times but it is never boring. Village life is shown through the celebrations and traditions, the gossip and the rumours, the work of the woman while the men are out in the fields, the descriptions of the land and the weather that rules their existence, the contrasts and conflicts between Gilbert's desire to improve their lot and the traditions of tribal culture that hold him back, the projects they untake (Makhaya and the woman beginning the tabacco plantations is a great scene, imbued with such a human essence). Head's dialogues keep the novel fresh and real; her handling and representation of the Botswanan reality she wants to present is deft, critical and sympathetic. In a short 200 pages she transports us to a corner of the world we would otherwise never know, shows us the people their and their lives.
The final chapters are more direct, driven by the romance of Makhaya and Paulina which is never oversimplified and given time to develop. The scenes on the cattle fields are the one horrific element to the story and the imagery is disturbing and powerful, yet in essence this a book full of positive energy, work and action, an impulse towards change. The scene when the villages gather to defend Paulina from the Chief's accusations, whatever they may be, epitifies this feeling. Head leaves us with many loose threads, a feeling that life isn't easy or safe, but that it is also hopeful. Still not my favourite (the impact of The Cardinals makes it, for me, the best piece of work by Bessie Head) but another great piece of writing from a master of the craft. 7
December 19, 2020
Perhaps he would have the courage to make children in such a world. For in this kind of lull from the inner torture of his life, he could think clearly. He was just an ordinary man and he wanted to stay that way all his life (Bessie Head).
I once travelled from Botswana to South Africa and back three times in a short period. The contrast between these two countries is stark, and as one young student from Gaborone then told me in Joburg, now more than a decade ago, 'racial discourse is not the undercurrent of our lives in Botswana. Here it is different. It's at the heart of every student debate. But why should that be my problem? It's not my problem, it's theirs'.
And this book brought it home to me. What this student meant then, the Black Dog that Makhaya refers to, is a being that isn't allowed to become human in a police state because without him criminal men will have nothing to entertain themselves with. This very same Black Dog is just a normal man elsewhere. Just across the border, in Botswana, lies freedom from racial persecution (from the then apartheid regime), and the energies that are not used up in hatred and imposed self-loathing can be thus used to make some mental space to become involved in a higher purpose. For example agriculture and fighting dry lands and lack of rain - these very acts turn the Black Dog finally into a man, 360 degrees, freed from projections of the other.
Bessie Head's writing had for me at least initially a theatrical quality, act 1, Makhaya escaping, act 2 Makhaya finding his feet, the writer's voice ever present and at times diluting the acts with agricultural scenes and descriptions. However, as the story unfolds we experience a depth of feeling and thinking in Makhaya that takes us into his third dimension. That of the spirit of a man fighting his inner demons. His good side is Gilbert and his bad side is Matenge, the former offering him a life of opportunity, the latter drawing out his murderous thoughts. Only in love and in the belief that every man is interconnected can Makhaya finally find peace. The death of Matenge somehow putting his inner demons to rest.
I once travelled from Botswana to South Africa and back three times in a short period. The contrast between these two countries is stark, and as one young student from Gaborone then told me in Joburg, now more than a decade ago, 'racial discourse is not the undercurrent of our lives in Botswana. Here it is different. It's at the heart of every student debate. But why should that be my problem? It's not my problem, it's theirs'.
And this book brought it home to me. What this student meant then, the Black Dog that Makhaya refers to, is a being that isn't allowed to become human in a police state because without him criminal men will have nothing to entertain themselves with. This very same Black Dog is just a normal man elsewhere. Just across the border, in Botswana, lies freedom from racial persecution (from the then apartheid regime), and the energies that are not used up in hatred and imposed self-loathing can be thus used to make some mental space to become involved in a higher purpose. For example agriculture and fighting dry lands and lack of rain - these very acts turn the Black Dog finally into a man, 360 degrees, freed from projections of the other.
Bessie Head's writing had for me at least initially a theatrical quality, act 1, Makhaya escaping, act 2 Makhaya finding his feet, the writer's voice ever present and at times diluting the acts with agricultural scenes and descriptions. However, as the story unfolds we experience a depth of feeling and thinking in Makhaya that takes us into his third dimension. That of the spirit of a man fighting his inner demons. His good side is Gilbert and his bad side is Matenge, the former offering him a life of opportunity, the latter drawing out his murderous thoughts. Only in love and in the belief that every man is interconnected can Makhaya finally find peace. The death of Matenge somehow putting his inner demons to rest.
June 20, 2018
Been meaning to read the work of this author for years, so when I saw this book on the shelf in Dog Eared Books on Castro, I snagged it immediately. So glad I did - I loved the book, and will look for more by this author. The gender politics of the book would not pass muster today (the book was first published in 1969, I believe), but we've all seen a lot worse, and not just in the classics, either. The central character is a South African man who's fled to Botswana (the author herself was South African living in Botswana) in the early days of independence, when South Africa was still in the horrific grip of apartheid. The mix of political economy, philosophy, and romance is perhaps peculiar, but I found it charming, as if Jane Austen had been a Fabian Socialist/African radical.
February 18, 2014
As someone said in previous review, the book cannot be understood without digging deep into the culture of S.Africa and Botswana. Thus, I had some difficulties drawing parallel between the book's actions and real political events concerning apartheid and genocide in South Africa. Overall, great novel, which although could've been shorter - way too descriptive, IMHO. 3 stars.
November 30, 2013
"You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our hearts."
February 23, 2023
4.5 / 4.75
The best African novel I've read yet, partly probably because it's written by a woman. Marvellous prose, complex characters and a story with a great flow to hook you in from the first page, it's just great.
The best African novel I've read yet, partly probably because it's written by a woman. Marvellous prose, complex characters and a story with a great flow to hook you in from the first page, it's just great.
June 17, 2023
When Rain Clouds Gather [1969] – ★★★★★
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our heart” [Bessie Head, 1969: 191].
This is a tale of Makhaya, a refugee from South Africa, who desires to build his life anew in a small village of Golema Mmidi, Botswana. There, he meets eccentric Englishman Gilbert Balfour, who would like to revolutionise farming methods to help people of the village. Both men are running away from the past and are in search of wives. However, before both start to live free lives, trying to help others, they have to face and fight political corruption, unfavourable climatic conditions and village prejudice. When Rain Clouds Gather tells an important story of finding hope in the most hostile and dangerous conditions, and can really be considered a modern classic.
The novel starts with Makhaya, a well-educated refugee, who escapes South Africa by crossing the border to reach Botswana. He stumbles upon one village, but will it be a place where his dreams of living a peaceful life are realised? Or will it prove to be a hostile area populated by hostile people? In the village of Golema Mmidi, there exists a complex power relationship between two brothers Sekoto and Matenge, giving rise to corruption and exploitation of people. Makhaya and Englishman Gilbert Balfour decide to utilise the uneasy relationship between two brothers to bring benefit to the people of the village, but can they be successful when there is so much against them?
Part of the appeal of the book is that we do not know the whole story of Makhaya and what previous life he led, and it is intriguing to find out more about the man. He appears to be a “good” man on the run, but is it really that simple? There are hints that Makhaya might have lived a life of hardship (and even forced violence) in South Africa, and is now on the road to peace and redemption. “I want to feel what it is like to live in a free country and then maybe some of the evils in my life will correct themselves” [1969: 5], says Makhaya, who is immediately the one the reader can sympathise with. The narrative also says that “[h]is reasons for leaving were simple: he could not marry and have children in a country where black men were called “boy” and “dog” and “kaffir”. The continent of Africa was vast without end and he simply felt like moving out of a part of it that was mentally and spiritually dead through the constant perpetuation of false beliefs” [1969: 11-12].
Bessie Head’s novel has character depth and many characters are multi-dimensional. Reading character descriptions, there is a feeling that the author is a keen observer and expert on the human nature. Makhaya is a rather sensitive human being who is eager to help others: “he wanted to undo the complexity of hatred and humiliation that had dominated his life for so long” [1969: 77]. Englishman Gilbert Balfour is also intriguing; he says at one point: “I’m running away from England. You know what England’s like? It’s full of nice, orderly queues, and everybody lines up in these queues for a place and position in the world. I let all that go hang and hopped out” [1969: 30]. There is also this description of him: “he had not felt free in England either, at least not in the upper-middle-class background into which he had been born, where the women all wore pearls, and everyone was nice and polite to everyone, and you could not tell friend from foe behind the polite brittle smiles”… [1969: 113]. Even Matenge, an opposing force, is not easily labelled and appears complex: “it was the face of a tortured man, slowly being devoured by the intensity of his inner life, and the tormented hell of that inner life had scarred deep ridges across his brow and down his cheeks, and the icy peaks of loneliness on which the man lived had only experienced the storms and winter of life, never the warm dissolving sun of love” [1969: 69].
When Rain Clouds Gather is not just a story of an outsider saving the day in one village – there is a special lesson there somewhere. From ignorance, corruption, hunger and thirst to establishing fairness and peace, the story paints a vivid picture of a village in distress, as well as of its colourful inhabitants who desire survival and prosperity. “Many factors had combined to make the village of Golema Mmidi a unique place. It was not a village in the usual meaning of being composed of large tribal or family groupings. Golema Mmidi consisted of individuals who had fled there to escape the tragedies of life” [1969: 18]. Other eccentric characters are Mma-Millipede and Paulina, who becomes romantically involved with Makhaya. In that way, the novel also shows romance, and explores who may have feeling for whom in the village.
🌧️When Rain Clouds Gather may just be a “must-read” book for anyone interested in reading a fascinating story with a heart taking place in Africa. Life in the village of Golema Mmidi has always been one of oppression for people, and the question is whether newcomers will change the situation and ensure that the village is free from oppression and starvation. Complex agricultural and political situations play a role in this tale of finding love and hope in the most unlikely of places. It may be a cliché to describe a novel as beautiful, but, in many ways, this one really is.
“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky. It is all in our heart” [Bessie Head, 1969: 191].
This is a tale of Makhaya, a refugee from South Africa, who desires to build his life anew in a small village of Golema Mmidi, Botswana. There, he meets eccentric Englishman Gilbert Balfour, who would like to revolutionise farming methods to help people of the village. Both men are running away from the past and are in search of wives. However, before both start to live free lives, trying to help others, they have to face and fight political corruption, unfavourable climatic conditions and village prejudice. When Rain Clouds Gather tells an important story of finding hope in the most hostile and dangerous conditions, and can really be considered a modern classic.
The novel starts with Makhaya, a well-educated refugee, who escapes South Africa by crossing the border to reach Botswana. He stumbles upon one village, but will it be a place where his dreams of living a peaceful life are realised? Or will it prove to be a hostile area populated by hostile people? In the village of Golema Mmidi, there exists a complex power relationship between two brothers Sekoto and Matenge, giving rise to corruption and exploitation of people. Makhaya and Englishman Gilbert Balfour decide to utilise the uneasy relationship between two brothers to bring benefit to the people of the village, but can they be successful when there is so much against them?
Part of the appeal of the book is that we do not know the whole story of Makhaya and what previous life he led, and it is intriguing to find out more about the man. He appears to be a “good” man on the run, but is it really that simple? There are hints that Makhaya might have lived a life of hardship (and even forced violence) in South Africa, and is now on the road to peace and redemption. “I want to feel what it is like to live in a free country and then maybe some of the evils in my life will correct themselves” [1969: 5], says Makhaya, who is immediately the one the reader can sympathise with. The narrative also says that “[h]is reasons for leaving were simple: he could not marry and have children in a country where black men were called “boy” and “dog” and “kaffir”. The continent of Africa was vast without end and he simply felt like moving out of a part of it that was mentally and spiritually dead through the constant perpetuation of false beliefs” [1969: 11-12].
Bessie Head’s novel has character depth and many characters are multi-dimensional. Reading character descriptions, there is a feeling that the author is a keen observer and expert on the human nature. Makhaya is a rather sensitive human being who is eager to help others: “he wanted to undo the complexity of hatred and humiliation that had dominated his life for so long” [1969: 77]. Englishman Gilbert Balfour is also intriguing; he says at one point: “I’m running away from England. You know what England’s like? It’s full of nice, orderly queues, and everybody lines up in these queues for a place and position in the world. I let all that go hang and hopped out” [1969: 30]. There is also this description of him: “he had not felt free in England either, at least not in the upper-middle-class background into which he had been born, where the women all wore pearls, and everyone was nice and polite to everyone, and you could not tell friend from foe behind the polite brittle smiles”… [1969: 113]. Even Matenge, an opposing force, is not easily labelled and appears complex: “it was the face of a tortured man, slowly being devoured by the intensity of his inner life, and the tormented hell of that inner life had scarred deep ridges across his brow and down his cheeks, and the icy peaks of loneliness on which the man lived had only experienced the storms and winter of life, never the warm dissolving sun of love” [1969: 69].
When Rain Clouds Gather is not just a story of an outsider saving the day in one village – there is a special lesson there somewhere. From ignorance, corruption, hunger and thirst to establishing fairness and peace, the story paints a vivid picture of a village in distress, as well as of its colourful inhabitants who desire survival and prosperity. “Many factors had combined to make the village of Golema Mmidi a unique place. It was not a village in the usual meaning of being composed of large tribal or family groupings. Golema Mmidi consisted of individuals who had fled there to escape the tragedies of life” [1969: 18]. Other eccentric characters are Mma-Millipede and Paulina, who becomes romantically involved with Makhaya. In that way, the novel also shows romance, and explores who may have feeling for whom in the village.
🌧️When Rain Clouds Gather may just be a “must-read” book for anyone interested in reading a fascinating story with a heart taking place in Africa. Life in the village of Golema Mmidi has always been one of oppression for people, and the question is whether newcomers will change the situation and ensure that the village is free from oppression and starvation. Complex agricultural and political situations play a role in this tale of finding love and hope in the most unlikely of places. It may be a cliché to describe a novel as beautiful, but, in many ways, this one really is.
October 28, 2024
Ganz interessante Beschreibung eines Dorflebens in Botswana. Thematisiert vor allem die Struggle von jungen Leuten die etwas zum besseren ändern wollen, aber in Konflikt mit traditionellen Werten und Strukturen geraten.
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January 17, 2025around the world reading: botswana 🇧🇼
February 25, 2022
Det er ingen motsetning mellom optimisme og litterær kvalitet. Denne boka fra Botswana på 1960-tallet har en framtidstro og en mennesketro som smitter. Bessie Head skriver om folk som ikke bukker under for naturforholdene og de inngrodde mønstrene som lett kunne ha holdt dem nede.
Historien foregår i en landsbygd hvor det er altfor tørt. Den norske tittelen treffer ikke helt blink. Mørke skyer er en metafor for problemer, men originalt heter boka When rain clouds gather - en tittel som en av hovedpersonene ytrer mot slutten av boka. I knusktørre Botswana er regnskyer et kjærkomment syn, for da kommer regnet som alle lengter etter.
Denne boka fikk øynene mine opp for 1960-tallets ungdomsopprør ikke bare var et europeisk og amerikansk fenomen. Forfatteren lar personene drømme om en bedre framtid uten utbytting av det afrikanske kontinentet, uten apartheid i Sør-Afrika og uten tradisjoner som ødelegger all mulig forbedring.
Side 194:
"Korleis skulle høvding Sekoto få greie på at det gjekk for seg ein stille og desperat revolusjon over heile den store, vide verda? Folk vart dregne nærmare kvarandre som brør, og hadde du ein gong sett på eit anna menneske som bror din, kunne du ikkje lenger tole at han skulle lide naud eller leve i mørkret. Kan hende han ingenting visste om dette fordi denne revolusjonen høyrde til unge menneske som Gilbert og Makhaya."
Og så gøy det er å lese om folk som gjør noe konkret, i dette tilfellet dyrkingsmetoder i afrikansk landbruk. Dette er en lett, rørende roman som flere bør lese.
Historien foregår i en landsbygd hvor det er altfor tørt. Den norske tittelen treffer ikke helt blink. Mørke skyer er en metafor for problemer, men originalt heter boka When rain clouds gather - en tittel som en av hovedpersonene ytrer mot slutten av boka. I knusktørre Botswana er regnskyer et kjærkomment syn, for da kommer regnet som alle lengter etter.
Denne boka fikk øynene mine opp for 1960-tallets ungdomsopprør ikke bare var et europeisk og amerikansk fenomen. Forfatteren lar personene drømme om en bedre framtid uten utbytting av det afrikanske kontinentet, uten apartheid i Sør-Afrika og uten tradisjoner som ødelegger all mulig forbedring.
Side 194:
"Korleis skulle høvding Sekoto få greie på at det gjekk for seg ein stille og desperat revolusjon over heile den store, vide verda? Folk vart dregne nærmare kvarandre som brør, og hadde du ein gong sett på eit anna menneske som bror din, kunne du ikkje lenger tole at han skulle lide naud eller leve i mørkret. Kan hende han ingenting visste om dette fordi denne revolusjonen høyrde til unge menneske som Gilbert og Makhaya."
Og så gøy det er å lese om folk som gjør noe konkret, i dette tilfellet dyrkingsmetoder i afrikansk landbruk. Dette er en lett, rørende roman som flere bør lese.
December 13, 2018
Esta es una novela que tiene altibajos en su desarrollo, hay partes que son lentas y hasta aburridas; los largos y abundantes párrafos dedicados a la agricultura pueden llegar a ser tediosos. Pero tienen un sentido en el conjunto de la historia. Los nuevos cultivos permitirán alimentar a los aldeanos, se podrá comerciar con el grano, se generará riqueza y mejorarán las condiciones de vida de las personas. Y, aunque es un proceso liderado por hombres, no es posible llevarlo a cabo sin la participación de las mujeres, lo que -necesariamente- implica un cambio en la relación entre unos y otras, un cambio que se anticipa a mejor.
Se dice que hay mucho de la vida de la propia Bessie Head en ella, y me pregunto por qué elegiría un alter ego masculino, en caso de ser cierto que Makhaya -el periodista sudafricano que huye de su país- lo sea. Tal vez porque un hombre permite hablar de los temas de la vida pública de la aldea y de la nación de manera más convincente que una mujer, relegada a tareas domésticas o a la agricultura (el cultivo se hace en el terreno aledaño a la cabaña en la que se vive; el ganado -responsabilidad masculina- se lleva a pastorear a donde haya agua, hierba y forraje; normalmente, lejos de la aldea); o porque en un hombre tener conciencia política es más aceptable que en una mujer; o, quizá, porque para implicarse en la tarea de liderar a la aldea hay que ser un hombre.
Sea por la razón que sea, este no es un libro que invisibilice o niegue a las mujeres. Al contrario, tiene varios personajes femeninos poderosos, como Mme Millipede o -mi preferido- Paulina Sebeso (una pena que no haya tenido más protagonismo en la novela). Para mi ella es el símbolo de la dignidad africana (más que al propio Makhaya): fuerte, responsable, orientada a su comunidad, enfocada, generosa, respetuosa con las tradiciones, abierta al cambio, segura de sí, leal, trabajadora.
A pesar de su desarrollo irregular, la sensación final es de esperanza y de confianza en que sí, en que el mundo se puede cambiar. Y que la unión hace la fuerza.
Puedes leer la reseña completa en mi Blog Un país, un libro: https://unpaisunlibro.blogspot.com/20...
Se dice que hay mucho de la vida de la propia Bessie Head en ella, y me pregunto por qué elegiría un alter ego masculino, en caso de ser cierto que Makhaya -el periodista sudafricano que huye de su país- lo sea. Tal vez porque un hombre permite hablar de los temas de la vida pública de la aldea y de la nación de manera más convincente que una mujer, relegada a tareas domésticas o a la agricultura (el cultivo se hace en el terreno aledaño a la cabaña en la que se vive; el ganado -responsabilidad masculina- se lleva a pastorear a donde haya agua, hierba y forraje; normalmente, lejos de la aldea); o porque en un hombre tener conciencia política es más aceptable que en una mujer; o, quizá, porque para implicarse en la tarea de liderar a la aldea hay que ser un hombre.
Sea por la razón que sea, este no es un libro que invisibilice o niegue a las mujeres. Al contrario, tiene varios personajes femeninos poderosos, como Mme Millipede o -mi preferido- Paulina Sebeso (una pena que no haya tenido más protagonismo en la novela). Para mi ella es el símbolo de la dignidad africana (más que al propio Makhaya): fuerte, responsable, orientada a su comunidad, enfocada, generosa, respetuosa con las tradiciones, abierta al cambio, segura de sí, leal, trabajadora.
A pesar de su desarrollo irregular, la sensación final es de esperanza y de confianza en que sí, en que el mundo se puede cambiar. Y que la unión hace la fuerza.
Puedes leer la reseña completa en mi Blog Un país, un libro: https://unpaisunlibro.blogspot.com/20...
August 5, 2009
Before tripping in the Caribbean I stopped by Lehman College's library to get some more reading materials for my three weeks on buses, boats, planes and waiting that would be a big part of Central and the Americas' travel plans. I wanted to get back into Hughes, and the play by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston was great, though I wanted some other LIGHTER pieces.
Bessie Head, whom I'd never heard of, wrote a brilliant, packed story of the refugee experience. Makhayla is a fugitive from South Africa trying to settle in Botswana.
This book is rich in imagery, ideology and native ways clashing with Imperialistic attitudes. Though not how you'd normally guess. Ironically, some of the biggest oppressors are from within their OWN. Brings back memories of the Slave Trade and how tribal chiefs were profiteering from that business just as the Europeans were taking the greater risks and doing far more work stealing people, perhaps for a greater gain. Yet, many history books neglect to explain Black Africans' complicitty within this devastating period.
Favorite quotes:
158-For so long there had been this grey graveyard in which he had lived. And who could tell what ghosts really do when they come alive in the dark night?
128-134
Religious Hypocricies, Hitler and the "Black Dog" syndrome. All this plus the Battle of the Sexes that come up ocassionally are all in this very short story.
For these and many other reasons, I'll get as many copies for my Freshman this fall to read as supplementary pieces to Obama's Dreams , and The Poisonwood Bible and A Long Way Gone .
Bessie Head, whom I'd never heard of, wrote a brilliant, packed story of the refugee experience. Makhayla is a fugitive from South Africa trying to settle in Botswana.
This book is rich in imagery, ideology and native ways clashing with Imperialistic attitudes. Though not how you'd normally guess. Ironically, some of the biggest oppressors are from within their OWN. Brings back memories of the Slave Trade and how tribal chiefs were profiteering from that business just as the Europeans were taking the greater risks and doing far more work stealing people, perhaps for a greater gain. Yet, many history books neglect to explain Black Africans' complicitty within this devastating period.
Favorite quotes:
158-For so long there had been this grey graveyard in which he had lived. And who could tell what ghosts really do when they come alive in the dark night?
128-134
Religious Hypocricies, Hitler and the "Black Dog" syndrome. All this plus the Battle of the Sexes that come up ocassionally are all in this very short story.
For these and many other reasons, I'll get as many copies for my Freshman this fall to read as supplementary pieces to Obama's Dreams , and The Poisonwood Bible and A Long Way Gone .
November 15, 2015
This book is about a South African political refugee who settles in a village in Botswana, soon after its colonial independence, whilst fleeing the system of apartheid in South Africa. I found this book quite poignant but inspiring at the same time. The dry, arid setting of Botswana worked well for a story about loss, frustration and the difficulty of migration for those seeking political refuge in foreign lands. The characters were full of complexity and their response to the adverse environment they found themselves in showed an admirable resilience. The author examines themes of identity, belonging, culture and gender, loss, grief and personal renewal. All in all this book left me with a big sigh at the end, not because I was sad but I was in awe and proud of Bessie Head. I enjoyed Maru and many of her short stories (which I read many years ago in high school) but never read her other novels. This one is definitely one of her greatest works and I will be recommending it to friends and family!
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