With the holidays already underway, it is time to catch up on reading. This selection is serious fiction by Zimbabwean woman that will be a perfect for a getaway. If you are a loner, they will definitely keep you occupied over the coming tribulations of family gatherings and overcrowded holiday resorts. Writing is liberating for women and has enabled them to envision the world they want for themselves. These titles are a testimony of strong women who challenged long-standing stereotypes and the status quo, which puts men front and center.
Here is a list of books by Zimbabwean female writers that you will surely enjoy:
NERVOUS CONDITIONS by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Author Tsitsi Dangarembwa chronicles the story of a young woman, Tambudzai Sigauke who while growing up kumusha in poverty embarks on her education. She shows resilience by growing vegetables to help pay her fees. The death of her brother, Nhamo, means that her affluent and Christian babamkuru takes her to the capital city to get an education. Here she experiences culture shock and limitless possibilities. Nyasha, her Anglicized and rebel cousin opens new worlds to her. This book explores racial, gender and cultural dynamics in Zimbabwe during the 1980s- some of which remain relevant today.
Shadows by Novuya Rosa Tshuma
The book is novella and a collection of short stories by a 25 old author Novuyo Rosa Tshuma. Tshuma paints a vivid picture of Johannesburg life and gives a view of Bulawayo life during the queuing era: bank, clinic, visa and border. At the beginning of the novella, Mpho is familiarized with the audience. He wants to be alone, does not know his father and hates his mother, a prostitute. He drops out of a Chemical Engineering course at NUST and he drowns his sorrows in writing while attending rallies for food and t-shirts. He skips the boarder to South Africa searching for the love of his love and eventually returns home. Tshuma explores the black female bleaching drama and other humorous aspects of contemporary womanhood, albeit showing the sadness they stem from.
Zenzele: A Letter For My Daughter by Nozipo Marairei
A neurosurgeon and entrepreneur Nozipo Maraire wrote this book. To date, it is in over 14 languages. It is about a mother that writes a letter to her daughter who is at University abroad explaining the social complexities of the lives of Africans. Maraire tells the tale of the Zimbabwean struggle for independence and explains about the men and women who shaped it. The book exposes the complexities of Zenzele’s father, a lawyer, her cousin who doubles as a house cleaner and a spy, as well as her aunt, who teaches during the day and is a guerilla fighter at night. Maraire as the mother tells her daughter about racial segregation and the lowly position of African women. She unpacks their failure to understand African civilization and her worship of her African God and her ‘dark-skinned’ Jesus. This book depicts the sorrow of a dilapidated country but is clear in its hope that a woman should choose her own identity.
Polygamist by Sue Nyathi
Sue Nyathi explores the lives of four woman married by one man. As a result, the lives of the four women become intertwined. The Polygamist of the title is Jonasi Gomora. His legitimate wife, Joyce, has the life of plenty that every woman aspires to: a black Mercedes Benz and four children. Next is Matipa who is a highly educated woman whose mission is to replace Joyce. Essie is the poverty-stricken woman whose history with Jonasi dates back to before he was the successful man he is today. Lindani, on the other hand, is a beautiful woman with a beautiful body and nothing else going on for her; the assets she hopes can secure a bright future for her. The book expresses the different personalities, tastes of these women, and is candid in its exploration of femaleness and love in this age of the HIV pandemic.
The Uncertainity Of Hope by Valerie Tagwira
The Uncertainty of Hope is the work of a medical doctor, which chronicles the ability of Zimbabwean writers to use their surroundings and lived realities to write a story. This book is a dominant gendered text as it focuses on the lives of Zimbabwean women in the 2000s. The book explores the labor and hard work of Onai Moyo, a mother of three children and Katy Nguni, her friend who doubles as a black market currency dealer and vendor. The book is set in Mbare, it explores other worlds of Harare in the form of Faith a law student and her boyfriend, Tom who is a businessperson and farmer as well as Tom’s sister, Emily, a health professional. The book unpacks gender-based violence and poverty. This makes these women lose control of their sexual choices, putting them at the risk of HIV and AIDS.
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