The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell

The Old Drift

Namwali Serpell

576 pages • first pub 2019 (editions)

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 time On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial s...

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Community Reviews Summary of 798 reviews

Moods

adventurous 64%
challenging 58%
reflective 57%
emotional 46%
informative 29%
sad 18%
dark 17%
mysterious 16%
funny 15%
tense 14%
inspiring 10%
hopeful 8%
lighthearted 2%

Pace

slow 51%
medium 47%
fast 1%

Plot- or character-driven?

A mix: 45% | Character: 41% | Plot: 13%

Strong character development?

Yes: 65% | It's complicated: 26% | No: 8%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 54% | Yes: 33% | No: 12%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 98% | No: 1%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 67% | It's complicated: 21% | No: 9% | N/A: 1%

Average rating

3.89

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Content Warnings

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