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A review by shonatiger
Brilliance of Hope by Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure
4.0
Brilliance of Hope is "an anthology of the reflections, refractions and vibrations of the Zimbabwean dispersion."
Vazhure notes in the introduction that its purpose is to create a record of Zimbabwean history, and to amplify the voices of the contributors. Included are fictional and autobiographical stories from Zimbabweans across the world, from as far afield as Australia, Dubai, and the United Kingdom, to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
This is a moving collection, painfully relatable, I think, for most Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. Some of my favourite reads:
- A wonderful story about old love and being undocumented, Kurauone, by Rudo Manyere. The narrator, Kurauone, has waited forty-one years for his papers, and to be with the woman he loves. A second story by Manyere, also very sad, 3:15 am, is about a childhood accident that has left a young woman haunted.
-Sibonginkosi Christabel Netha’s The Mouth Of The Shark (yes, after the Warsan Shire poem, Home), is about a young girl and the disorientation of migration.
- I enjoyed Samuel Chamboko’s story, Journey from Without, particularly because it details the experiences of a migrant from a population group we don’t hear much about in Zimbabwean migration stories. Pedzi, the protagonist, is from Maranda, Mwenezi. The twists and turns of his story are heart-wrenching.
- Tariro Ndoro’s Stasis is a very cool SF story. Chiedza’s 3rd Manic Pixie Dreamboat Experience™ contract is about to expire, and she has to decide what to do next. She lives in a city that feels like Johannesburg, and has to wear a green armband in public spaces because she’s an immigrant. A second story, La Duma, has a wonderfully inventive structure.
- James Wanangwa Kajumi Kuwali’s style and choice of subject are intriguing! The Republican is an extremely well-written story about a Black man serving at Buckingham Palace. I would read the novel Leaving Las Vegas could be/is/will be from.
- What It Means To Be a Foreigner In South Africa, by Nobuhle N. Nyoni is the author’s own heartbreaking account.
- There are two lovely stories at the end by the editor, Samantha Vazhure: Barcode, written in the second person, about Kumbi, who lives through the trauma of being between lives. Honestly, I wanted to cry. Happily, Tariro, the other, ends the book on a hopeful note.
The breadth of experiences and stories in this anthology is wonderful. I did not read every single one through, as I did not enjoy the style of a few of them, but this feels to me like a really solid anthology. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the lived experiences of disaporan Zimbabweans today.
Rated: 8/10.
Vazhure notes in the introduction that its purpose is to create a record of Zimbabwean history, and to amplify the voices of the contributors. Included are fictional and autobiographical stories from Zimbabweans across the world, from as far afield as Australia, Dubai, and the United Kingdom, to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
This is a moving collection, painfully relatable, I think, for most Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. Some of my favourite reads:
- A wonderful story about old love and being undocumented, Kurauone, by Rudo Manyere. The narrator, Kurauone, has waited forty-one years for his papers, and to be with the woman he loves. A second story by Manyere, also very sad, 3:15 am, is about a childhood accident that has left a young woman haunted.
-Sibonginkosi Christabel Netha’s The Mouth Of The Shark (yes, after the Warsan Shire poem, Home), is about a young girl and the disorientation of migration.
- I enjoyed Samuel Chamboko’s story, Journey from Without, particularly because it details the experiences of a migrant from a population group we don’t hear much about in Zimbabwean migration stories. Pedzi, the protagonist, is from Maranda, Mwenezi. The twists and turns of his story are heart-wrenching.
- Tariro Ndoro’s Stasis is a very cool SF story. Chiedza’s 3rd Manic Pixie Dreamboat Experience™ contract is about to expire, and she has to decide what to do next. She lives in a city that feels like Johannesburg, and has to wear a green armband in public spaces because she’s an immigrant. A second story, La Duma, has a wonderfully inventive structure.
- James Wanangwa Kajumi Kuwali’s style and choice of subject are intriguing! The Republican is an extremely well-written story about a Black man serving at Buckingham Palace. I would read the novel Leaving Las Vegas could be/is/will be from.
- What It Means To Be a Foreigner In South Africa, by Nobuhle N. Nyoni is the author’s own heartbreaking account.
- There are two lovely stories at the end by the editor, Samantha Vazhure: Barcode, written in the second person, about Kumbi, who lives through the trauma of being between lives. Honestly, I wanted to cry. Happily, Tariro, the other, ends the book on a hopeful note.
The breadth of experiences and stories in this anthology is wonderful. I did not read every single one through, as I did not enjoy the style of a few of them, but this feels to me like a really solid anthology. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the lived experiences of disaporan Zimbabweans today.
Rated: 8/10.