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The Polygamist: A Novel
Sithole, Ndabaningi
178 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 21, 2026
I enjoyed this read. I learned, I laughed, I got mad at certain circumstances but never really at people. I liked how welcoming the Ndebele people were to me. I highly recommend this quick and culturally rich novel.
March 14, 2009
I picked this book up at a local thrift store because the title caught me. This was an incredibly interesting book and fairly well-written, considering it was written by a man in a Rhodesian prison. It was published in 1972 by The Third Press which seems to be defunct*. You can't even buy it new on amazon although there are some used copies, most for $40 - $90 though depending on publishing date.
Even though the book is fiction, the characters all follow typical Rhodesian cultural practices at the time. It's quite thought provoking because you see the up and down sides to polygamy as well as their other cultural practices. Also the polygamy that is/was practiced in Africa isn't the same as the polygamy families in the U.S. and elsewhere. Following is a quote that shows another of the cultural practices:
"A little girl entered the hut. She carried a wooden bowl of water. As soon as she approached Dube, she knelt down and then placed the bowl on the circular hearth which was made of mud. "There's the water, father," she said rising to her feet. "That's all right, my child" acknowledge Dube tenderly [...:]She rose to her feet and soon left the hut. Custom observance was very strict at Dube's village just as it was at other villages. The little girl had to announce
formally, "There's the water," to indicate that it was her pleasure to bring that water, and that it was now at their disposal. The formal announcement had the effect of releasing the water from her, so to speak, so that it could be used freely."
Similarly, here's a quote regarding polygamy:
"...and so each of the seven wives had a special attribute which endeared her to Dube. They were beautiful, hardworking, and obedient and, with the exception of Manyati, they all had children. [...:] But if the younger wives of Dube secured his goodwill with their youthfulness and beauty, the older ones held the executive and political reins on his estate."
In the chapter that's from, he explains each wife, where she was found, how many heads of cattle was paid for her, what he likes about her and how many children she has born for him so far. It's very evident that he truly loves ALL of his wives and for different reasons and that he treats them all fairly.
The ending was really enjoyable and I wish this book was available to a wider public because I most definitely recommend this to everyone.
* Third Press, Joseph Okpaku Publishing Company Inc. (New York, 1970; ceased publishing in 1986 - from wikipedia
Even though the book is fiction, the characters all follow typical Rhodesian cultural practices at the time. It's quite thought provoking because you see the up and down sides to polygamy as well as their other cultural practices. Also the polygamy that is/was practiced in Africa isn't the same as the polygamy families in the U.S. and elsewhere. Following is a quote that shows another of the cultural practices:
"A little girl entered the hut. She carried a wooden bowl of water. As soon as she approached Dube, she knelt down and then placed the bowl on the circular hearth which was made of mud. "There's the water, father," she said rising to her feet. "That's all right, my child" acknowledge Dube tenderly [...:]She rose to her feet and soon left the hut. Custom observance was very strict at Dube's village just as it was at other villages. The little girl had to announce
formally, "There's the water," to indicate that it was her pleasure to bring that water, and that it was now at their disposal. The formal announcement had the effect of releasing the water from her, so to speak, so that it could be used freely."
Similarly, here's a quote regarding polygamy:
"...and so each of the seven wives had a special attribute which endeared her to Dube. They were beautiful, hardworking, and obedient and, with the exception of Manyati, they all had children. [...:] But if the younger wives of Dube secured his goodwill with their youthfulness and beauty, the older ones held the executive and political reins on his estate."
In the chapter that's from, he explains each wife, where she was found, how many heads of cattle was paid for her, what he likes about her and how many children she has born for him so far. It's very evident that he truly loves ALL of his wives and for different reasons and that he treats them all fairly.
The ending was really enjoyable and I wish this book was available to a wider public because I most definitely recommend this to everyone.
* Third Press, Joseph Okpaku Publishing Company Inc. (New York, 1970; ceased publishing in 1986 - from wikipedia
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews