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University Press of Kentucky New Poetry & Prose Series
Drinking from Graveyard Wells: Stories
"Even in death, who has ownership over Black women's bodies?"
Questions like this sit between the lines of this stunning collection of stories that engage the nuance of African women's histories. Their history is not just one thing, there is heartbreak and pain, and joy, and flying and magic, so much magic. An avenging spirit takes on the patriarchy from beyond the grave.
An immigrant woman undergoes a naturalization ceremony in an imagined American state that demands that immigrants pay a toll of the thing they love the most to be allowed to stay. A first-generation Zimbabwean-American woman haunted by generational trauma is willing to pay the ultimate price to take her pain away—giving up her memories. A neighborhood gossip wakes up to find that houses are mysteriously vanishing in the night. A shapeshifting freedom fighter leaves a legacy of resistance to her granddaughter.
In Drinking from Graveyard Wells, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu assembles a collection of poignantly reflective stories that ventilate the voices of African women charting a Black history across oceans between southern Africa and America. Ndlovu's stories play with genres ranging from softly surreal to deeply fantastical. Each narrative is wrapped in the literary eloquence and tradition of southern African mythology, in a way that transports readers into the lives of African women who have fought across time and space to be seen.
Drawing on her own experiences as a Zimbabwean whose early life was spent under the Mugabe dictatorship, Ndlovu's stories are grounded in truth and empathy. Ndlovu boldly offers up alternative interpretations of a past and a present that speculates into the everyday lives of a people disregarded. Her words explore the erasure of African women—while highlighting their beauty potential and limitless possibility. Immersed in worlds both fantastical and familiar, readers find themselves walking alongside these women, grieving their pain, and celebrating their joy, all against the textured backdrop of African histories, languages, and cultures.
Questions like this sit between the lines of this stunning collection of stories that engage the nuance of African women's histories. Their history is not just one thing, there is heartbreak and pain, and joy, and flying and magic, so much magic. An avenging spirit takes on the patriarchy from beyond the grave.
An immigrant woman undergoes a naturalization ceremony in an imagined American state that demands that immigrants pay a toll of the thing they love the most to be allowed to stay. A first-generation Zimbabwean-American woman haunted by generational trauma is willing to pay the ultimate price to take her pain away—giving up her memories. A neighborhood gossip wakes up to find that houses are mysteriously vanishing in the night. A shapeshifting freedom fighter leaves a legacy of resistance to her granddaughter.
In Drinking from Graveyard Wells, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu assembles a collection of poignantly reflective stories that ventilate the voices of African women charting a Black history across oceans between southern Africa and America. Ndlovu's stories play with genres ranging from softly surreal to deeply fantastical. Each narrative is wrapped in the literary eloquence and tradition of southern African mythology, in a way that transports readers into the lives of African women who have fought across time and space to be seen.
Drawing on her own experiences as a Zimbabwean whose early life was spent under the Mugabe dictatorship, Ndlovu's stories are grounded in truth and empathy. Ndlovu boldly offers up alternative interpretations of a past and a present that speculates into the everyday lives of a people disregarded. Her words explore the erasure of African women—while highlighting their beauty potential and limitless possibility. Immersed in worlds both fantastical and familiar, readers find themselves walking alongside these women, grieving their pain, and celebrating their joy, all against the textured backdrop of African histories, languages, and cultures.
158 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
March 31, 2024
Updated March 31, 2024
I read this collection and decided to make it a BookOfCinz Book Club pick and I am so happy I did. This collection is perfect for anyone looking to read more about the African continent and specifically Zimbabwe. We read about immigration, Black tax, family secrets, culture and history. This collection is truly one that you should get lost in.
I love a collection of short stories and this may be the best one I read for 2023.
Yvette Lisa Ndlovu can write and it shows this in the collection. I loved every single story, but especially the one on immigration and what you lose when you give up your citizenship.
A top tier collection.
I read this collection and decided to make it a BookOfCinz Book Club pick and I am so happy I did. This collection is perfect for anyone looking to read more about the African continent and specifically Zimbabwe. We read about immigration, Black tax, family secrets, culture and history. This collection is truly one that you should get lost in.
I love a collection of short stories and this may be the best one I read for 2023.
Yvette Lisa Ndlovu can write and it shows this in the collection. I loved every single story, but especially the one on immigration and what you lose when you give up your citizenship.
A top tier collection.
February 17, 2025
“It is this world that makes monsters of us all.”
I absolutely loved this short story collection from author Yvette Lisa Ndlovu! While not purely horror, it is a churning sea of Zimbabwean mythology and folklore, with dark fantasy and horror elements addressing themes of poverty, the patriarchy, tradition, family, colonialism, classism, corruption, and more.
In Red Cloth, White Giraffe, a woman’s ghost is anxious she won’t pass on to the afterlife as the men in her family quarrel over what’s to be done with her body. (This was one of my favorite stories, tackling the lack of autonomy some women have in both life and death.) In Home Became a Thing with Thorns, a cruel naturalization ceremony requires sacrifice of what is most important to the immigrants seeking a new home. In The Soul Would Have No Rainbow, a young woman discovers a shocking secret about her deceased grandmother through a family heirloom.
This collection is teeming with spirits, gods, witches, mermaids, and human monsters. Many of these stories carry the weight of African women’s generational histories–their trauma, their fears, their joys, their dreams, their triumphs, their obstacles. After this book, I’m certain anything the author publishes will be an instant must-have for me. I am officially a fan!
I absolutely loved this short story collection from author Yvette Lisa Ndlovu! While not purely horror, it is a churning sea of Zimbabwean mythology and folklore, with dark fantasy and horror elements addressing themes of poverty, the patriarchy, tradition, family, colonialism, classism, corruption, and more.
In Red Cloth, White Giraffe, a woman’s ghost is anxious she won’t pass on to the afterlife as the men in her family quarrel over what’s to be done with her body. (This was one of my favorite stories, tackling the lack of autonomy some women have in both life and death.) In Home Became a Thing with Thorns, a cruel naturalization ceremony requires sacrifice of what is most important to the immigrants seeking a new home. In The Soul Would Have No Rainbow, a young woman discovers a shocking secret about her deceased grandmother through a family heirloom.
This collection is teeming with spirits, gods, witches, mermaids, and human monsters. Many of these stories carry the weight of African women’s generational histories–their trauma, their fears, their joys, their dreams, their triumphs, their obstacles. After this book, I’m certain anything the author publishes will be an instant must-have for me. I am officially a fan!
October 12, 2022
Black mermaids defend their home by taking on environment-destroying politicians.
Flesh-eating ants … may just consume a billionaire.
Corrupt gods are stuck within capitalist power structures.
And that’s just the smallest peek into this PHENOMENAL collection.
Ndlovu writes fables, nuanced pieces that vary in style but craft powerful messages. The stories are very short: we’re looking through windows & witnessing bursts of life. The work is often surreal and takes inspiration from southern African mythology.
It’s frequently fantastical & magical, sometimes deeply intimate, and often veers into what feels like social horror.
Black women are the focus here. Drinking from Graveyard Wells honors and celebrates the magic of these women, but doesn’t shy away from their pain. The writing is gripping, empathetic, and intimate.
I was afraid and enamored and very moved.
Pre-order this collection ASAP. Or you’ll miss out on freedom-fighting shapeshifters and time traveling students and (rightfully) furious spirits … and just a whole lot of incredible content.
CW: death (including child death), murder, racism, colorism, genocide, war, colonization, sexual assault, body horror, pedophilia, abuse (emotional and physical), sexism, gun violence/mass shooting, war, classism
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Flesh-eating ants … may just consume a billionaire.
Corrupt gods are stuck within capitalist power structures.
And that’s just the smallest peek into this PHENOMENAL collection.
Ndlovu writes fables, nuanced pieces that vary in style but craft powerful messages. The stories are very short: we’re looking through windows & witnessing bursts of life. The work is often surreal and takes inspiration from southern African mythology.
It’s frequently fantastical & magical, sometimes deeply intimate, and often veers into what feels like social horror.
Black women are the focus here. Drinking from Graveyard Wells honors and celebrates the magic of these women, but doesn’t shy away from their pain. The writing is gripping, empathetic, and intimate.
I was afraid and enamored and very moved.
Pre-order this collection ASAP. Or you’ll miss out on freedom-fighting shapeshifters and time traveling students and (rightfully) furious spirits … and just a whole lot of incredible content.
CW: death (including child death), murder, racism, colorism, genocide, war, colonization, sexual assault, body horror, pedophilia, abuse (emotional and physical), sexism, gun violence/mass shooting, war, classism
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
April 21, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ After reading a sample of the first story 'Red Cloth, White Giraffe' in this Zimbabwean collection, I wanted to get my hands on a copy. Incidentally the sample ended with the sentence "All I feel in this moment is rage," which is very apropos because incandescent rage runs throughout the stories. Some of these short stories have been published in various journals and magazines before. Through it all, rage at the lack of agency over women's bodies, corruption, injustice, poverty, colonization blazes through. In the stories that had justice served, I felt a vicious vicarious satisfaction. The pace and feel is hard-hitting throughout, quality consistent across the board. With powerful Zimbabwean/pan-African mythology and folklore, the message is accessible, blunt and forceful.
In 'Water Bites Back', we are introduced to the concept of ubuntu which the author also mentions as central to her work. Such an empowering all-encompassing concept. From Wikipedia Ubuntu Philosophy: "In the Shona language, the majority spoken language in Zimbabwe, ubuntu is unhu or hunhu. In Ndebele, it is known as ubuntu. The concept of ubuntu is viewed the same in Zimbabwe as in other African cultures. The Shona phrase munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu means a person is human through others while ndiri nekuti tiri means I am because we are."
Highly recommended.
[Addendum: Always gratifying to see a under-rated book read mention - [book:And This Is How to Stay Alive|59207703] by Shingai Njeri Kagunda]
In 'Water Bites Back', we are introduced to the concept of ubuntu which the author also mentions as central to her work. Such an empowering all-encompassing concept. From Wikipedia Ubuntu Philosophy: "In the Shona language, the majority spoken language in Zimbabwe, ubuntu is unhu or hunhu. In Ndebele, it is known as ubuntu. The concept of ubuntu is viewed the same in Zimbabwe as in other African cultures. The Shona phrase munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu means a person is human through others while ndiri nekuti tiri means I am because we are."
Highly recommended.
[Addendum: Always gratifying to see a under-rated book read mention - [book:And This Is How to Stay Alive|59207703] by Shingai Njeri Kagunda]
October 2, 2024
my favourite kinds of love stories are between people and their homes. zimbabwean author weaves together folklore, history, futurism, colonial critique, oral histories so so well. no story was like the last and i couldn’t bring myself to binge read because i loved it so much i wanted to savour it. essential reading for everyone tbh
June 24, 2023
This is one of my favorite, if not my straight up favorite, short story collections of all time! Most short story collections are usually hit or miss with each story, but not this one! I enjoyed basically every story. There was one that was just okay to me, but there were NO BAD STORIES! The writing was so beautiful. The stories made me feel such a wide range of emotions, such as sadness, excitement, anger, and more. My favorite stories were definitely Water Bites Back, Red Cloth White Giraffe, and Plumtree: True Stories, but I loved so many! I would love to see this as a series, an episode for each story. Yvette Lisa Ndlovu has gained a new fan in me! I cannot wait to read more of her writing! Everybody, go pick this up!
📚Red Cloth, White Giraffe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Second Place is the First Loser: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: colonizing ass mfers)
📚Home Became a Thing With Thorns: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: suicide)
📚The Carnivore’s Lollipop: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: police violence)
📚Swimming With Crocodiles: ⭐️⭐️ (TW: sexual assault mentioned)
📚Ugly Hamsters: A Triptych: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Plumtree: True Stories: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: intense misogyny, sexual assault; this one is WILD & very heavy so read this one with caution)
📚The Friendship Bench: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’d choose the resilience aura; I wish this one was longer)
📚Water Bites Back: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Turtle Heart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚The Soul Would Have No Rainbow: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚When Death Comes To Find You: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Drinking From Graveyard Wells: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (interesting but I wish there had been closure or explanation at the end)
Average rating: 3.8 stars
Overall rating: 5 stars!
📚Red Cloth, White Giraffe: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Second Place is the First Loser: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: colonizing ass mfers)
📚Home Became a Thing With Thorns: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: suicide)
📚The Carnivore’s Lollipop: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: police violence)
📚Swimming With Crocodiles: ⭐️⭐️ (TW: sexual assault mentioned)
📚Ugly Hamsters: A Triptych: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Plumtree: True Stories: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (TW: intense misogyny, sexual assault; this one is WILD & very heavy so read this one with caution)
📚The Friendship Bench: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’d choose the resilience aura; I wish this one was longer)
📚Water Bites Back: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Turtle Heart: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚The Soul Would Have No Rainbow: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
📚When Death Comes To Find You: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Drinking From Graveyard Wells: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (interesting but I wish there had been closure or explanation at the end)
Average rating: 3.8 stars
Overall rating: 5 stars!
January 21, 2023
I loved this collection. Ndlovu is a stellar storyteller.
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes didn't have tears - Gogo
What keeps me coming back to short stories is their ability to address in a compact yet affecting manner, the issues and identities that plague our social constructs. The ways in which we view not only self but culture, family, and country.
I discovered Ndlovu through two previously read stories anthologized in Africa Risen and Voodoonauts. Her stories grabbed me and were stunning in both complexity and simplicity, how she rendered tradition and its effects were masterful and the undeniable creativity made me curious and led me to her debut collection. And I am mesmerized. Even the most talked about subjects take on a new meaning when Ndlovu writes with a personal and cultural context, and reading these stories makes one reflect and acknowledge.
Stories that make you laugh, cringe, commiserate, and empathize are the hallmark of this collection; you will be captivated and entertained. Speculative, contemporary, folkloric, and fantastical, this collection will stay with me for a long time.
- Only a fool tests the depth of the water by stepping in with both feet - Zimbabwean tsumo from the story Water Bites Back.
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes didn't have tears - Gogo
What keeps me coming back to short stories is their ability to address in a compact yet affecting manner, the issues and identities that plague our social constructs. The ways in which we view not only self but culture, family, and country.
I discovered Ndlovu through two previously read stories anthologized in Africa Risen and Voodoonauts. Her stories grabbed me and were stunning in both complexity and simplicity, how she rendered tradition and its effects were masterful and the undeniable creativity made me curious and led me to her debut collection. And I am mesmerized. Even the most talked about subjects take on a new meaning when Ndlovu writes with a personal and cultural context, and reading these stories makes one reflect and acknowledge.
Stories that make you laugh, cringe, commiserate, and empathize are the hallmark of this collection; you will be captivated and entertained. Speculative, contemporary, folkloric, and fantastical, this collection will stay with me for a long time.
- Only a fool tests the depth of the water by stepping in with both feet - Zimbabwean tsumo from the story Water Bites Back.
April 18, 2024
Sometimes I read a book that makes me go "I wish I was an author, and I wish I could write this well!" This is one of those times.
This incredible short story collection explores the Zimbabwean experience through various themes including colonization and neo-colonization, patriarchy, tradition, history and memory, immigration, assimilation and cultural erasure, capitalism, and corruption.
Although the stories are about Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans, the realities the author writes about are ones that most Africans can relate to.
The weaving in of Zimbabwean myths and speculative elements into the stories was done masterfully and beautifully, and made me thirsty for more speculative African fiction.
The titular story is the last one in the collection, and the way it ends left me feeling both sad and hopeful for Zimbabweans, and for our continent:
Readers who enjoyed the short story collection "What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky" by Lesley Nneka Arimah, will probably enjoy this collection even more.
I can't wait to read more from Yvette Lisa Ndlovu!
This incredible short story collection explores the Zimbabwean experience through various themes including colonization and neo-colonization, patriarchy, tradition, history and memory, immigration, assimilation and cultural erasure, capitalism, and corruption.
Although the stories are about Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans, the realities the author writes about are ones that most Africans can relate to.
The weaving in of Zimbabwean myths and speculative elements into the stories was done masterfully and beautifully, and made me thirsty for more speculative African fiction.
The titular story is the last one in the collection, and the way it ends left me feeling both sad and hopeful for Zimbabweans, and for our continent:
"I don’t know what tomorrow will hold. When our house vanishes at midnight, I wonder where we will wake up. Will it be a better place than Hopley? Perhaps I will open my eyes to the sound of trumpets, to wings carrying me up a beam of light. Perhaps tomorrow I will meet God. Perhaps tomorrow I will inherit the earth."
Readers who enjoyed the short story collection "What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky" by Lesley Nneka Arimah, will probably enjoy this collection even more.
I can't wait to read more from Yvette Lisa Ndlovu!
dnf
October 2, 2025DNF @ 34% - Some of the stories really captured my attention and were quite creative and dark in the best ways, but most of them were a little too overt with their messaging for my personal taste. Even when I agree with an author’s opinions, I prefer a subtle hand. Add to that the fact the short stories a hard sell for me, and I’ve decided to put this collection down.
August 7, 2023
This collection worked really well for me! The stories pack an emotional punch, are very artful, have beautiful prose, and are thoroughly engaging. The stories are connected in that they are all about Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans (some of whom live abroad). No story is directly related to another beyond that, but the observant reader will notice small details dropped in some stories that were also in previous stories.
Major themes in this collection include explorations of justice, colonization, morality, and systems of oppression. Many stories deal with heavy, dark material - misogyny, sexism, colonization, ecology, gentrification, poverty, stress and exhaustion, exploitative labor practices, etc. However, the overall tone of the stories and collection is full of hope and optimism. The author clearly sees beauty along with the injustices of our world and she has managed to infuse her stories with that beauty.
I loved getting to learn more about Zimbabwe through this collection. The truth is that I knew next to nothing when I started this collection, but now feel that I have a passing familiarity with a little of its recentish history. Not that there was a ton of explicit information in the stories, but I felt compelled to look up more information a few times.
I also loved the way I felt "like I was there" in these places, situations, and with these characters. The stories feel up close and personal. It was also really cool how much Zimbabwean folklore and spirituality are mixed in, often seen through the lens of a skeptical, modern Zimbabwean character. Some stories feel like fables and are full of magical realism. Others mix spirituality and superstitions very pointedly with modern science.
Most of the stories have some kind of speculative element, but one or two did not. I would say that this collection is on the more literary side of speculative fiction. On the whole, this collection is very readable and engaging. It manages to be artistic and beautiful while remaining accessible. And, it feels emotional and personal. The author clearly poured the contents of her inner being into this work.
Major themes in this collection include explorations of justice, colonization, morality, and systems of oppression. Many stories deal with heavy, dark material - misogyny, sexism, colonization, ecology, gentrification, poverty, stress and exhaustion, exploitative labor practices, etc. However, the overall tone of the stories and collection is full of hope and optimism. The author clearly sees beauty along with the injustices of our world and she has managed to infuse her stories with that beauty.
I loved getting to learn more about Zimbabwe through this collection. The truth is that I knew next to nothing when I started this collection, but now feel that I have a passing familiarity with a little of its recentish history. Not that there was a ton of explicit information in the stories, but I felt compelled to look up more information a few times.
I also loved the way I felt "like I was there" in these places, situations, and with these characters. The stories feel up close and personal. It was also really cool how much Zimbabwean folklore and spirituality are mixed in, often seen through the lens of a skeptical, modern Zimbabwean character. Some stories feel like fables and are full of magical realism. Others mix spirituality and superstitions very pointedly with modern science.
Most of the stories have some kind of speculative element, but one or two did not. I would say that this collection is on the more literary side of speculative fiction. On the whole, this collection is very readable and engaging. It manages to be artistic and beautiful while remaining accessible. And, it feels emotional and personal. The author clearly poured the contents of her inner being into this work.
April 3, 2024
*4.5 stars
As with all short story collections, there were stories in this that I liked better than others, but I'd rate the majority highly and overall this is an excellent collection, powerful stories that include pain and history, theology and mythology. I read it in two days, and while reading (disclaimer: I know nothing about Zimbabwe) felt immersed in the 'feel' and culture of Zimbabwe.
The reason I bought this collection is because I read and loved The Soul Would Have No Rainbow in an anthology (a collection by various authors), and I had to read more from this author. I was not disappointed. Most of the stories in this book I loved, the following all getting five stars from me:
- Plumtree: True Stories - a shocking account of the treatment of women's - in fact young girls' - bodies
- Water Bites Back - mermaids!!
- The Soul Would Have No Rainbow - girl finds out who her grandmother really is, after her death. Love the notion of "If you didn't cry tears, your soul would have no rainbow"
- Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time - Let us tell the stories of powerful women in history! This story also explains perfectly the feeling I get about the dead, when wandering through a cemetery of old, old graves, and why I feel what I feel about loved ones who have passed but are still very much alive in our memories.
- When Death Comes to Find You - The GROOTSLANG! And addressing controversial diamond mining
- Drinking from Graveyard Wells - an ominous mystery, about the continuing struggles post-Zimbabwe's independence.
As with all short story collections, there were stories in this that I liked better than others, but I'd rate the majority highly and overall this is an excellent collection, powerful stories that include pain and history, theology and mythology. I read it in two days, and while reading (disclaimer: I know nothing about Zimbabwe) felt immersed in the 'feel' and culture of Zimbabwe.
The reason I bought this collection is because I read and loved The Soul Would Have No Rainbow in an anthology (a collection by various authors), and I had to read more from this author. I was not disappointed. Most of the stories in this book I loved, the following all getting five stars from me:
- Plumtree: True Stories - a shocking account of the treatment of women's - in fact young girls' - bodies
- Water Bites Back - mermaids!!
- The Soul Would Have No Rainbow - girl finds out who her grandmother really is, after her death. Love the notion of "If you didn't cry tears, your soul would have no rainbow"
- Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time - Let us tell the stories of powerful women in history! This story also explains perfectly the feeling I get about the dead, when wandering through a cemetery of old, old graves, and why I feel what I feel about loved ones who have passed but are still very much alive in our memories.
- When Death Comes to Find You - The GROOTSLANG! And addressing controversial diamond mining
- Drinking from Graveyard Wells - an ominous mystery, about the continuing struggles post-Zimbabwe's independence.
January 18, 2024
Red Cloth, White Giraffe - 4/5
Second Place is the First Loser - 4.5/5
Home Became a Thing with Thorns - 5/5
The Carnivore's Lollipop - 4/5
Swimming with Crocodiles - 4/5
Ugly Hamsters - 4/5
Plumtree: Stories - 4/5
The Friendship Bench - 3.5/5
The Water Bites Back - 3.5/5
Turtle Heart - 3.5/5
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow - 4/5
Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time - 4.5/5
When Death Comes to Find You - 5/5
Drinking from Graveyard Wells - 4/5
Second Place is the First Loser - 4.5/5
Home Became a Thing with Thorns - 5/5
The Carnivore's Lollipop - 4/5
Swimming with Crocodiles - 4/5
Ugly Hamsters - 4/5
Plumtree: Stories - 4/5
The Friendship Bench - 3.5/5
The Water Bites Back - 3.5/5
Turtle Heart - 3.5/5
The Soul Would Have No Rainbow - 4/5
Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time - 4.5/5
When Death Comes to Find You - 5/5
Drinking from Graveyard Wells - 4/5
October 26, 2024
“I am because we are, and since we are, there I am”. I loved this book, one of the best reads this year. Each story was captivating and well written. I did have to stop often and look up certain words, but it made the stories even more impactful. Can’t rave enough!! Each story is unique and there is so much to think about and unpack.
August 31, 2025
I am so glad I took Angela's recommendation (from Literature Science Alliance).
These Short Stories were a great blend of speculative with various cultural elements from Zimbabwe.
My favorite stories were:
Home Became a Thing with Thorns
The Friendship Bench
Water Bites Back.
These Short Stories were a great blend of speculative with various cultural elements from Zimbabwe.
My favorite stories were:
Home Became a Thing with Thorns
The Friendship Bench
Water Bites Back.
July 30, 2025
This was such a well written short story collection and I absolutely loved it. Set in Zimbabwe and steeped in its culture, themes such as poverty, misogyny, classism and colonialism are ever present.
My two favorite stories are Home Became a Thing with Thorns and Plumtree: True Stories. The first centers around the price of citizenship and the things we lose to become part of a new country while the latter delves into the misogyny faced by girls and women. There is something heartbreaking about a woman who breaks down when learning she is pregnant with a daughter, not because she particularly wants a son, but because she knows what a girl will have to endure. Because she knows the world will break her the way it broke her mother. And the lengths she goes to prevent this breaking.
Once again, what an amazing collection.
My two favorite stories are Home Became a Thing with Thorns and Plumtree: True Stories. The first centers around the price of citizenship and the things we lose to become part of a new country while the latter delves into the misogyny faced by girls and women. There is something heartbreaking about a woman who breaks down when learning she is pregnant with a daughter, not because she particularly wants a son, but because she knows what a girl will have to endure. Because she knows the world will break her the way it broke her mother. And the lengths she goes to prevent this breaking.
Once again, what an amazing collection.
March 3, 2023
3.5 stars for this great collection of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror short stories inspired by cultures (largely Zimbabwean culture) from southern Africa!
The problem I have with most short story collections is that they tend to be extremely unequal in quality - some will stand out, and some feel like filler. This collection was exceptional in that every piece felt around the same quality while managing wildly different topics and tones. There's a thruline of rage throughout these stories - feminine rage, rage at imperialism, rage towards circumstance and history.
The only real complaint I have is that each story, no matter how varying the setting, tone, and topic, manages to land on the same kind of abrupt ending. While this sudden stop - often in a place of ambiguity - sometimes feels appropriate as the conclusion, I would've liked to see a bit more variety and direction for the end of each story.
Overall, if this kind of short story collection appeals to you, I would definitely recommend checking it out!
Thanks as well to the author and publisher for reaching out with an ARC!
The problem I have with most short story collections is that they tend to be extremely unequal in quality - some will stand out, and some feel like filler. This collection was exceptional in that every piece felt around the same quality while managing wildly different topics and tones. There's a thruline of rage throughout these stories - feminine rage, rage at imperialism, rage towards circumstance and history.
The only real complaint I have is that each story, no matter how varying the setting, tone, and topic, manages to land on the same kind of abrupt ending. While this sudden stop - often in a place of ambiguity - sometimes feels appropriate as the conclusion, I would've liked to see a bit more variety and direction for the end of each story.
Overall, if this kind of short story collection appeals to you, I would definitely recommend checking it out!
Thanks as well to the author and publisher for reaching out with an ARC!
August 5, 2023
a 4.75 / 5
absolutely phenomenal collection of stories, half of them made me wonder of all these similarities one could find in asian household traditions as well, some like the Plumtree: True Stories just made me cry uncontrollably because somewhere we've all heard of similar stories from poc communities and/or aorund us and it just breaks you how much women no matter the religion or region, have been, and will always have to endure to even be considered a part of humanity. Spectacular storytellig, short precise, and leaves this etch in your brain for a long long time.
absolutely phenomenal collection of stories, half of them made me wonder of all these similarities one could find in asian household traditions as well, some like the Plumtree: True Stories just made me cry uncontrollably because somewhere we've all heard of similar stories from poc communities and/or aorund us and it just breaks you how much women no matter the religion or region, have been, and will always have to endure to even be considered a part of humanity. Spectacular storytellig, short precise, and leaves this etch in your brain for a long long time.
August 19, 2025
We love a no skip story collection
May 9, 2024
This book overwhelmed me. Consumed me!! I’m so PROUD of this book. If I feel this way, I don’t know how the Yvette feels writing this amazing Feat of literature!
I’ve been soaked deep in the pages of this book! Best read of the year so far.
I’m going to post a few excerpts that made me think and quake with anger ! The sting of colonization.
“Therefore, the past is something that we are approaching, not moving away from. All of us here will experience three deaths. The death of the physical body is the first. When we are buried, we cease to create new memories and disappear from the face of the earth. Then we are resurrected as living memory in the hearts of those who remember us, as a living dead person. But then a time will come when even this memory disappears, when those who love us die. When the last person with memories of us dies, that is the final death.”
“When he’d first introduced himself as Chad during an Orientation Week icebreaker at Cornell, I’d remarked, “Chad? Like the country?” He and everyone else in the group had stared at me blankly.”
“Most prayers are usually about money or would be solved by money, so Imali’s hotline is always busy, second only to the god of love, but even the god of love sometimes forwards some prayers to her because human intimacy is so transactional.”
“What men cannot do or understand is evil.”
Before I end this… just want to post an excerpt from the acknowledgements.
“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. A person is only a person through other people. The core teaching of Hunhu/Ubuntu, the humanist philosophy of the Bantu tribes, is the value of community. I would not be here without the people who have breathed life into my dream. I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am:
I’ve been soaked deep in the pages of this book! Best read of the year so far.
I’m going to post a few excerpts that made me think and quake with anger ! The sting of colonization.
“Therefore, the past is something that we are approaching, not moving away from. All of us here will experience three deaths. The death of the physical body is the first. When we are buried, we cease to create new memories and disappear from the face of the earth. Then we are resurrected as living memory in the hearts of those who remember us, as a living dead person. But then a time will come when even this memory disappears, when those who love us die. When the last person with memories of us dies, that is the final death.”
“When he’d first introduced himself as Chad during an Orientation Week icebreaker at Cornell, I’d remarked, “Chad? Like the country?” He and everyone else in the group had stared at me blankly.”
“Most prayers are usually about money or would be solved by money, so Imali’s hotline is always busy, second only to the god of love, but even the god of love sometimes forwards some prayers to her because human intimacy is so transactional.”
“What men cannot do or understand is evil.”
Before I end this… just want to post an excerpt from the acknowledgements.
“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. A person is only a person through other people. The core teaching of Hunhu/Ubuntu, the humanist philosophy of the Bantu tribes, is the value of community. I would not be here without the people who have breathed life into my dream. I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am:
February 22, 2023
4.5 stars
January 25, 2025
This is one of the best things I have ever read in a whileeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....
It was incredible, gripping, heart wrenching , heart warming..omg...
That ending had me...I was like nooooo don't go come back and tell me what happened 😭
It had me gasping for more... instead of being angry.
It was incredible, gripping, heart wrenching , heart warming..omg...
That ending had me...I was like nooooo don't go come back and tell me what happened 😭
It had me gasping for more... instead of being angry.
August 25, 2023
Really enjoyed the collection, somber and biting commentary
Red Cloth, White Giraffe was good, but I was hoping to see more of the MC's time as a ngozi
I liked Second Place is the First Loser. I thought the main character's love-hate relationship with her home country was interesting. I'd seen self-hating characters before but not something this nuanced. Like the depths of her grief
Really enjoyed Home Became a Thing With Thorns. I think the simplicity made the message even more stark and heartbreaking
Intrigued by the premise of The Carnivore's Lollipop but wanted more from the story
Swimming with Crocodiles was an interesting portrayal of post-revolution and people who can't let that go. I'm in a phase where I'm into stories that look at idealism and good intentions and how they can lead us astray
Really liked Ugly Hamsters: Triptych. I thought the contradiction between prosperity and curse/ burden was tragic. I've seen those responsibilities eat away at other people.
I had trouble following Plumtree. I guess the stories were about the same family but from different PoVs and not in chronological order. The lightning in a bottle part reminded me of hoodoo and Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
The Friendship Bench didn't stick for me but did some quick Googles, and it seems like there's a lot of cultural and political context that I'm missing
Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time was a standout for me. Think the optimistic ending just made it memorable compared to the rest of the collection's tone. Also loved Ndlovu's shoutout to her author friend Kagunda.
Turtle Heart was an interesting parable and reminded me of Nigerian author Ayodele Olofintuade's points about African storytelling rejecting or transcending morality tales. I tend to prefer parables that feel more fantastical or stories that feel more emotional, so it was something I appreciated more on a technical level than a personal one
When Death Comes to Find You was another standout. At 1st thought grootslangs were some sort of Roald Dahl reference but then remembered they're a folklore staple (not sure about etymology of the name). Liked the unlikely alliance and triumphant tone. Also just a fan of vengeance stories
Water Bites Back was another standout. Thought it was an interesting take on Ubuntu and merfolk
Thought The Soul Would Have No Rainbow had interesting elements but ending didn't stick for me. May have been my favorite depiction of older women/ grandmas in the collection
I understand why Drinking From Graveyard Wells is the titular story and the closer. Think the mournfulness, hopelessness, and idea of being cursed despite trying best to be respectful/ having no good options really summed up the collection. Also this made an interview I did with the author fall into place where she said she wanted to do lighter stuff. This collection was bleak
Red Cloth, White Giraffe was good, but I was hoping to see more of the MC's time as a ngozi
I liked Second Place is the First Loser. I thought the main character's love-hate relationship with her home country was interesting. I'd seen self-hating characters before but not something this nuanced. Like the depths of her grief
Really enjoyed Home Became a Thing With Thorns. I think the simplicity made the message even more stark and heartbreaking
Intrigued by the premise of The Carnivore's Lollipop but wanted more from the story
Swimming with Crocodiles was an interesting portrayal of post-revolution and people who can't let that go. I'm in a phase where I'm into stories that look at idealism and good intentions and how they can lead us astray
Really liked Ugly Hamsters: Triptych. I thought the contradiction between prosperity and curse/ burden was tragic. I've seen those responsibilities eat away at other people.
I had trouble following Plumtree. I guess the stories were about the same family but from different PoVs and not in chronological order. The lightning in a bottle part reminded me of hoodoo and Mama Day by Gloria Naylor
The Friendship Bench didn't stick for me but did some quick Googles, and it seems like there's a lot of cultural and political context that I'm missing
Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time was a standout for me. Think the optimistic ending just made it memorable compared to the rest of the collection's tone. Also loved Ndlovu's shoutout to her author friend Kagunda.
Turtle Heart was an interesting parable and reminded me of Nigerian author Ayodele Olofintuade's points about African storytelling rejecting or transcending morality tales. I tend to prefer parables that feel more fantastical or stories that feel more emotional, so it was something I appreciated more on a technical level than a personal one
When Death Comes to Find You was another standout. At 1st thought grootslangs were some sort of Roald Dahl reference but then remembered they're a folklore staple (not sure about etymology of the name). Liked the unlikely alliance and triumphant tone. Also just a fan of vengeance stories
Water Bites Back was another standout. Thought it was an interesting take on Ubuntu and merfolk
Thought The Soul Would Have No Rainbow had interesting elements but ending didn't stick for me. May have been my favorite depiction of older women/ grandmas in the collection
I understand why Drinking From Graveyard Wells is the titular story and the closer. Think the mournfulness, hopelessness, and idea of being cursed despite trying best to be respectful/ having no good options really summed up the collection. Also this made an interview I did with the author fall into place where she said she wanted to do lighter stuff. This collection was bleak
May 9, 2023
https://shonareads.wordpress.com/2023...
I loved this phenomenal collection of stories with a speculative twist from Zimbabwean-born writer, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu. Many of these stories have been published before in various places, but this is the first time they’ve been brought together in one volume.
Ndlovu imbues her stories with a flavour of Zimbabwean experience, with subplots of hyperinflation, power cuts, fuel shortages, the liberation war, and Zimbabwe’s troubled political history. Mixed in with all of that—which would read as speculative fiction anyway, to most people—are disappearing homes, a shape-shifting praying mantis fighting on the side of Zimbabwe’s liberation fighters, carnivorous ants, various gods, magical turtle hearts that confer near-immortality, and njuzu, the Zimbabwean conception of mermaids. I also loved some of the themes Ndlovu introduced to wider audiences: African science including ngozi, wife-locking and similar used for revenge; women who travel by night in winnowing baskets; why many Black people carefully dispose of their hair and never pick up money they find on the ground; and an African conception of time (not future-facing, but going backwards, into the past).
Ndlovu also does not hold back on social commentary. Black Tax is the theme of Ugly Hamsters: A Triptych. “Tradition” is used to deprive widows of marital property in several stories. The idea of Zimbabwe’s Marange diamonds as blood diamonds is approached from a speculative perspective, with a monster trapping amakorokoza (artisanal miners) underground for not paying tolls, but thereby enriching, through a greedy government, a bunch of capitalists. Gusheshe is a thinly-veiled story about the abduction of a famous comedian in Zimbabwe. The experiences of young girls and young women—including the horrors of virginity testing, and a form of female genital mutilation practised in this part of the world—are explored in short passages in Plumtree: True Stories. The despair of the poor (and a quiet commentary on Zimbabwe’s Operation Murambatsvina of 2005, which destroyed homes) is the focus of the title story, Drinking from Graveyard Wells. I was moved nearly to tears by Home Became a Thing With Thorns, in which Ndlovu explores the experience of Zimbabwean migrants (set in South Africa, but could apply to any migrant anywhere) losing parts of themselves in order to gain recognition in their new country.
In all, this is an astonishing, enjoyable, and expansive collection. It is a lamentation with enormous heart. Ndlovu is a supremely talented author, a new star in the already crowded firmament of excellent Zimbabwean writers. I look forward to much more from her, and highly recommend this anthology.
I loved this phenomenal collection of stories with a speculative twist from Zimbabwean-born writer, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu. Many of these stories have been published before in various places, but this is the first time they’ve been brought together in one volume.
Ndlovu imbues her stories with a flavour of Zimbabwean experience, with subplots of hyperinflation, power cuts, fuel shortages, the liberation war, and Zimbabwe’s troubled political history. Mixed in with all of that—which would read as speculative fiction anyway, to most people—are disappearing homes, a shape-shifting praying mantis fighting on the side of Zimbabwe’s liberation fighters, carnivorous ants, various gods, magical turtle hearts that confer near-immortality, and njuzu, the Zimbabwean conception of mermaids. I also loved some of the themes Ndlovu introduced to wider audiences: African science including ngozi, wife-locking and similar used for revenge; women who travel by night in winnowing baskets; why many Black people carefully dispose of their hair and never pick up money they find on the ground; and an African conception of time (not future-facing, but going backwards, into the past).
Ndlovu also does not hold back on social commentary. Black Tax is the theme of Ugly Hamsters: A Triptych. “Tradition” is used to deprive widows of marital property in several stories. The idea of Zimbabwe’s Marange diamonds as blood diamonds is approached from a speculative perspective, with a monster trapping amakorokoza (artisanal miners) underground for not paying tolls, but thereby enriching, through a greedy government, a bunch of capitalists. Gusheshe is a thinly-veiled story about the abduction of a famous comedian in Zimbabwe. The experiences of young girls and young women—including the horrors of virginity testing, and a form of female genital mutilation practised in this part of the world—are explored in short passages in Plumtree: True Stories. The despair of the poor (and a quiet commentary on Zimbabwe’s Operation Murambatsvina of 2005, which destroyed homes) is the focus of the title story, Drinking from Graveyard Wells. I was moved nearly to tears by Home Became a Thing With Thorns, in which Ndlovu explores the experience of Zimbabwean migrants (set in South Africa, but could apply to any migrant anywhere) losing parts of themselves in order to gain recognition in their new country.
In all, this is an astonishing, enjoyable, and expansive collection. It is a lamentation with enormous heart. Ndlovu is a supremely talented author, a new star in the already crowded firmament of excellent Zimbabwean writers. I look forward to much more from her, and highly recommend this anthology.
February 5, 2023
This is the best collection of stories to celebrate Black History Month, and I'm so overjoyed. First, I thank Yvette Lisa Ndlovu and the University of Kentucky Press for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book before it hits shelves on March 7, 2023.
I'm a big fan of Stories and collections of prose that uniquely annotate general themes of community and togetherness, and that's precisely what Drinking from Graveyard Wells conveyed. Ndlovu details the various upbringings of African women, either growing up in the states or residing in their villages and hometowns, as they encounter several road bumps or cultural mysticism and lore that lead to tragic events and life lessons. This collection of tales, some presumed true, opens an eye for readers as we get a glimpse into how women are valued and misvalued throughout different parts of the world and how they cope to combat those masochistic virtues.
This was a great book to read during the month of February, but I, even more, am excited for its release during the month of March, as that's widely known as Women's History month.
I'm a big fan of Stories and collections of prose that uniquely annotate general themes of community and togetherness, and that's precisely what Drinking from Graveyard Wells conveyed. Ndlovu details the various upbringings of African women, either growing up in the states or residing in their villages and hometowns, as they encounter several road bumps or cultural mysticism and lore that lead to tragic events and life lessons. This collection of tales, some presumed true, opens an eye for readers as we get a glimpse into how women are valued and misvalued throughout different parts of the world and how they cope to combat those masochistic virtues.
This was a great book to read during the month of February, but I, even more, am excited for its release during the month of March, as that's widely known as Women's History month.
November 27, 2022
Thank you to University Press of Kentucky for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
I don't know how to explain my love for this book and its stories! It gives such a heartfelt look into African culture and life under the Mugabe dictatorship. Each story gives you yet another look into culture or lore/religion while also conveying the pain and isolation of women under the dictatorship.
The stories were perfect for autumn when I read it, and I loved learning more about African folklore, which is something that is just now growing in mainstream fantasy.
If you're looking for a book that will entertain you but also show you another view of the world that you might have never thought of, this is the book for you! Its stories are so immersive and will captivate your heart for the women just trying to make their way in a world that wasn't set up for them.
I don't know how to explain my love for this book and its stories! It gives such a heartfelt look into African culture and life under the Mugabe dictatorship. Each story gives you yet another look into culture or lore/religion while also conveying the pain and isolation of women under the dictatorship.
The stories were perfect for autumn when I read it, and I loved learning more about African folklore, which is something that is just now growing in mainstream fantasy.
If you're looking for a book that will entertain you but also show you another view of the world that you might have never thought of, this is the book for you! Its stories are so immersive and will captivate your heart for the women just trying to make their way in a world that wasn't set up for them.
February 10, 2024
a collection of emotional, artistic, and personal stories about African magic, spirituality, and folklore — with a bit of skepticism in the mix, told from the pov of the modern Zimbabwean — that make you feel like you’re right there with these characters as their stories are unfolding. also couldn’t resist reading out some of the prose, because it’s just that beautiful.
as Ndlovu puts in her acknowledgments, “a person is only a person through other people.” the importance of culture, of this sense of community, and how these interactions form our perceptions of the world around us, in both good ways and bad — through patriarchal traditions carried out without question and the effects of colonisation felt throughout one’s bloodline being some of those discussed in the stories — is how i would go about describing the contents of this book. and even then it does not do justice to the plethora of cultural anecdotes that fill its pages, and it’s insane to me how we have all of this history and the wisdom imparted from generations ago so readily available to us in such simple and accessible prose. the true significance of some of these stories i understood after a bit of researching of my own because i'm not too familiar with the culture and language, and that only added to how immersive this collection was.
here are a few of my favourites from this collection, in no particular order because even narrowing down to these was difficult in itself:
• red cloth, white giraffe
• plumtree: true stories
• the soul would have no rainbow
• three deaths and the ocean of time
-
rating: 4.75/5
as Ndlovu puts in her acknowledgments, “a person is only a person through other people.” the importance of culture, of this sense of community, and how these interactions form our perceptions of the world around us, in both good ways and bad — through patriarchal traditions carried out without question and the effects of colonisation felt throughout one’s bloodline being some of those discussed in the stories — is how i would go about describing the contents of this book. and even then it does not do justice to the plethora of cultural anecdotes that fill its pages, and it’s insane to me how we have all of this history and the wisdom imparted from generations ago so readily available to us in such simple and accessible prose. the true significance of some of these stories i understood after a bit of researching of my own because i'm not too familiar with the culture and language, and that only added to how immersive this collection was.
here are a few of my favourites from this collection, in no particular order because even narrowing down to these was difficult in itself:
• red cloth, white giraffe
• plumtree: true stories
• the soul would have no rainbow
• three deaths and the ocean of time
-
rating: 4.75/5
July 4, 2024
4.47! One of my new obsessions from this year! I was so mesmerized by this book that I don't really have words to review it - so I'll just note down some things for my future self. Ndlovu's ability to unexpectedly and sneakily get to the crux of each issue with the fewest words possible is the shining beacon of this book. While each chapter ostensibly handles a bigger them on issues ranging from patriarchy, colonialism, poverty, corruption, and appropriation to African spirituality & philosophies, Ndlovu is also able to throw some subliminal disses to random things that left me gasping. Conversely, I was also screaming when she threw in names of her crew and some random praises.
I also loved the way she manipulated different Zim mythologies, metaphors, proverbs, and stories and elevated them both in shock and/or wisdom values. The twists and turns in the first half of the stories were especially outstanding. The second half of the stories were a bit weak and sometimes got a lil bit predictable but overall still managed to stand out in their own way. Furthermore, I loved that she ultimately wrote this book for Zimbos and kept all the vernacular and local flavours in the stories. I was also pleasantly surprised by how familiar/similar some of the terms & stories were & shocked with the twists that Ndlovu gave them.
Will definitely be rereading this one and do recommend it highly. Also love the cover and I can't wait for her next book - sending vim to write write. thank you.
unrelated, reading Turtle Heart while being immersed in #RutoMustGo was transcendent. tbh, most of this book is perfect protest reading material.
I also loved the way she manipulated different Zim mythologies, metaphors, proverbs, and stories and elevated them both in shock and/or wisdom values. The twists and turns in the first half of the stories were especially outstanding. The second half of the stories were a bit weak and sometimes got a lil bit predictable but overall still managed to stand out in their own way. Furthermore, I loved that she ultimately wrote this book for Zimbos and kept all the vernacular and local flavours in the stories. I was also pleasantly surprised by how familiar/similar some of the terms & stories were & shocked with the twists that Ndlovu gave them.
Will definitely be rereading this one and do recommend it highly. Also love the cover and I can't wait for her next book - sending vim to write write. thank you.
unrelated, reading Turtle Heart while being immersed in #RutoMustGo was transcendent. tbh, most of this book is perfect protest reading material.
March 17, 2024
This collection of short stories was nothing like what I expected. For the most part everytime I sink my teeth into a collection of short stories, it always breathes laughter but this one was so much more.
From colonialism to magical realism, to racism, to womanhood, to enculturation, to poverty and patriotism. Each short story captures the life of each character trying to survive in a country that has changed drastically before their eyes.
I turned each page like, what next. Because literally what more could these characters have to deal with, but trust me but there was more and I was very much engaged.
Ndlovu takes you on a ride that you don’t want to get off of. If I had to choose just four that really stuck with me, they’d be Second Place is the First Loser, Home Became A Thing With Thorns, The Soul Would Have No Rainbow and Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time.
And the line that has stuck with me since I picked up this collection, “How did the survivors know that the other side of the rock would be a better world?”
From colonialism to magical realism, to racism, to womanhood, to enculturation, to poverty and patriotism. Each short story captures the life of each character trying to survive in a country that has changed drastically before their eyes.
I turned each page like, what next. Because literally what more could these characters have to deal with, but trust me but there was more and I was very much engaged.
Ndlovu takes you on a ride that you don’t want to get off of. If I had to choose just four that really stuck with me, they’d be Second Place is the First Loser, Home Became A Thing With Thorns, The Soul Would Have No Rainbow and Three Deaths and the Ocean of Time.
And the line that has stuck with me since I picked up this collection, “How did the survivors know that the other side of the rock would be a better world?”
March 7, 2025
This is everything I want in a short story collection. Fast-paced, consistently good across all the stories, and very very creative. Infused with mythology and folklore, it is such a delight to read these creative takes on capitalism, inequality, colonialism, greed, etc. There is an underlying thread of anger that runs through the whole collection that is sadly still relevant for the current climate, whether it is feeling impotent anger at being powerless, to the rush of vindictive and savage sactisfsction at seeing revenge. Some of the dystopian futures feel too plausible.
June 30, 2025
Drinking from Graveyard Wells is a fantastic read. The collection of stories blends reality and folklore, encouraging readers to think deeply about traditions and how they shape, or sometimes burden people's lives. I was especially moved by the story "Home Became a Thing with Thorns." It highlights the high price one pays to become naturalized in a foreign land. Was the price of losing yourself worth it? That was the question that lingered with me after reading it. Overall, the folklore elements added an eerie atmosphere that gripped my attention throughout. One of my favourite reads so far.
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