The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell

The Old Drift

Namwali Serpell

568 pages • first pub 2019 (editions) user-added

fiction historical literary adventurous emotional medium-paced

Description

A Zambian debut novel that follows three generations of three families, telling the story of a nation, and of the grand sweep of timeOn the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlem...

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Community Reviews Summary of 835 reviews

Moods

adventurous 65%
challenging 58%
reflective 55%
emotional 46%
informative 29%
dark 18%
sad 17%
mysterious 14%
tense 14%
funny 13%
inspiring 10%
hopeful 7%
lighthearted 2%

Pace

slow 51%
medium 46%
fast 1%

Plot- or character-driven?

A mix: 44% | Character: 44% | Plot: 11%

Strong character development?

Yes: 62% | It's complicated: 28% | No: 8%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 56% | Yes: 31% | No: 12%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 98% | No: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 68% | It's complicated: 20% | No: 8% | N/A: 2%

Average rating

3.9

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Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

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