moogen's review against another edition
There's no doubt that Robert Mugabe is one bad dude. But I'm not convinced Zimbabwe's white population - especially it's white farmers - are as blameless and selfless as the author suggests. I would have liked to hear from the other side. Instead these people are all dismissed as greedy buffoons. The book feels unbalanced and emotionally didactic. I might have ended up with the same opinions as the author but I like to arrive at those opinions by myself.
The final chapter is lazy and disappointing.
The final chapter is lazy and disappointing.
thatclaregirl's review against another edition
3.0
A middle class, white perspective on the troubles in Zimbabwe. Although what his parents and the white farmers went through was horrible and hard, I just don't drum up the same kind of sympathy as in the other books I've read about displaced indigenous Africans. They always had a way out if they wanted it - sure they counted Zimbabwe as home, but they weren't from their originally and had realistic other options and could have easily settled into comfortable lives elsewhere (which is what the author had done). I was hoping for more about Africa and Zimbabwe, but the book was centred on his family's history. It was interesting, but it gave an insight into one family, rather than a microcosm of many.
k5tog's review against another edition
4.0
Was this book better because I was traveling in Zambia while I was reading it? Or is it just an interesting, well-written memoir? I might never know, but it was revelatory and intriguing and thought provoking. I don't know much about the effects of colonialism, fighting for independence and political corruption in Africa, but Godwin's story gives a glimpse into this other world.
kitty_kat21's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't exactly like I expected. I thought it would tell the story of the authors childhood in Africa but then I realised that was the subject of his earlier book and I should have read that one first. As a standalone, this novel was engaging but some of the political descriptions about what was happening I didn't really understand because I knew nothing about Africa, let alone Zimbabwe.
Aside from that, learning about his parents and the sad way in which they had to live out their latter years was heartbreaking. Inflation had decimated their savings and made their shares and his fathers life insurance policy useless. It was a pretty bleak portrait Godwin painted of Zimbabwe in the early naughties, and I felt so bad for his parents.
His fathers Jewish background and story was so fascinating, I found it so sad how he felt like he had to constantly hide his roots as a Polish Jew because he wanted to protect his family in case the holocaust happened again - he believed that extreme anti-semitism would come back around.
Great book, I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the authors earlier book first though I think.
Aside from that, learning about his parents and the sad way in which they had to live out their latter years was heartbreaking. Inflation had decimated their savings and made their shares and his fathers life insurance policy useless. It was a pretty bleak portrait Godwin painted of Zimbabwe in the early naughties, and I felt so bad for his parents.
His fathers Jewish background and story was so fascinating, I found it so sad how he felt like he had to constantly hide his roots as a Polish Jew because he wanted to protect his family in case the holocaust happened again - he believed that extreme anti-semitism would come back around.
Great book, I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the authors earlier book first though I think.
dana_in_denver's review against another edition
3.0
This is a descriptive account of the deterioration of Zimbabwe under the Mugabe dictatorship as told by a journalist. The history is well documented and I enjoyed the references to South Africa (especially Bridal Veil Falls) but I just didn't find this book very easy to get through.
booksandchicks's review against another edition
3.0
I started out enjoying this memoir of a white guy that is from Zimbabwe, now lives in new York, but goes back frequently to visit his parents, taking place from 1998-2004. In 2000 Mugabe planned to eradicate Zimbabwe of all whites, ripping their farms, homes and livelihood from them. The book is about this. Amazing how unaware we are to the tragedies of others in our world! It was good to learn about Mugabe and life in Zimbabwe. But then. The book started to turn towards a biography almost of his parents. They chose to stay and deal with the harsh opposition. I got a little bored hearing the many conversations between him and his parents. I wish there had been more political information towards the end instead of his personal family story. Overall, decent.