The poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, in the heart of rural Botswana, offers a haven to the exiles gathered there. Makhaya, a political refugee from South Africa, becomes involved with an English agricultural expert and the villagers as they struggle to upgrade their traditional farming methods with modern techniques.
When Rain Clouds Gather is set in Botswana in the mid-1960s. Bessie Head migrated to Botswana in 1964 where she began her career as a fiction writer. Although Botswana is located north of South Africa, it had been only slightly colonized. It achieved independence in 1966. The novel was published in 1968. Bessie Head; 1969; When Rain Clouds Gather.epub - Ebook download as ePub (.epub), Text File (.txt) or read book online.
The pressures of tradition, the opposition of t The poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, in the heart of rural Botswana, offers a haven to the exiles gathered there. Makhaya, a political refugee from South Africa, becomes involved with an English agricultural expert and the villagers as they struggle to upgrade their traditional farming methods with modern techniques. The pressures of tradition, the opposition of the local chief, and, above all, the harsh climate threaten to bring tragedy to the community, but strangely, there remains a hope for the future. I really enjoyed 'When Rain clouds gather'. There were bad people and bad situations including a death of child but the author said everything thing she wanted to say only just focusing on the good people and their actions.
In the end the book felt like it was about unity, love, and the human spirit not drought, poverty and greedy paramount chiefs. 48 years later, I found it heart warming and explored very relevant themes (feminism, identity, racism, tribalism) while hardly mentioning these word I really enjoyed 'When Rain clouds gather'. There were bad people and bad situations including a death of child but the author said everything thing she wanted to say only just focusing on the good people and their actions. In the end the book felt like it was about unity, love, and the human spirit not drought, poverty and greedy paramount chiefs. 48 years later, I found it heart warming and explored very relevant themes (feminism, identity, racism, tribalism) while hardly mentioning these words. Most importantly, the women were very liberated and the 'feminism' portrayed by the 3 main characters was multifaceted.
When Rain Clouds Gather Majority of the thinking of the Batswana (like me) is still the same in rural villages such as the feelings towards foreigners, food options, love, dynamics between genders. I struggled to digest some ideas that the author clearly thought highly of, such as the foreigners (protagonist and his employer) plan depending on the adjustment of the wealth of the villagers. Otherwise, the relationship between the races in the village mirrored that of my village in North West, Sout When Rain Clouds Gather Majority of the thinking of the Batswana (like me) is still the same in rural villages such as the feelings towards foreigners, food options, love, dynamics between genders. I struggled to digest some ideas that the author clearly thought highly of, such as the foreigners (protagonist and his employer) plan depending on the adjustment of the wealth of the villagers. Otherwise, the relationship between the races in the village mirrored that of my village in North West, South Africa.
Very rare around the rest of the country. Bessie Emery Head (6 July 1937 – 17 April 1986), though born in South Africa, is usually considered Botswana's most influential writer. Bessie Emery Head was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, the child of a wealthy white South African woman and a black servant when interracial relationships were illegal in South Africa. It was claimed that her mother was mentally ill so that she could be sent Bessie Emery Head (6 July 1937 – 17 April 1986), though born in South Africa, is usually considered Botswana's most influential writer.
Bessie Emery Head was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, the child of a wealthy white South African woman and a black servant when interracial relationships were illegal in South Africa. It was claimed that her mother was mentally ill so that she could be sent to a quiet location to give birth to Bessie without the neighbours knowing.
However, the exact circumstances are disputed, and some of Bessie Head's comments, though often quoted as straight autobiography, are in fact from fictionalized settings. In the 1950s and '60s she was a teacher, then a journalist for the South African magazine Drum.
In 1964 she moved to Botswana (then still the Bechuanaland Protectorate) as a refugee, having been peripherally involved with Pan-African politics. It would take 15 years for Head to obtain Botswana citizenship. Head settled in Serowe, the largest of Botswana's 'villages' (i.e. Traditional settlements as opposed to settler towns). Serowe was famous both for its historical importance, as capital of the Bamangwato people, and for the experimental Swaneng school of Patrick van Rensburg. The deposed chief of the Bamangwato, Seretse Khama, was soon to become the first President of independent Botswana.
Her early death in 1986 (aged 48) from hepatitis came just at the point where she was starting to achieve recognition as a writer and was no longer so desperately poor. (from Wikipedia).
It was Alice Walker who advised me to read Bessie Head, and it’s true, she knows how to induce tenderness & sympathy for her characters, and fill a scenario that other authors would make gloomy and grim with sweet passion and sunlight, with humanity and warmth.There is quite a strong author voice in this novel, a strong hold maintained on the material by the author. Yet the feeling I have is that the characters are not her puppets, but real souls who travel their own paths through the beauti It was Alice Walker who advised me to read Bessie Head, and it’s true, she knows how to induce tenderness & sympathy for her characters, and fill a scenario that other authors would make gloomy and grim with sweet passion and sunlight, with humanity and warmth.There is quite a strong author voice in this novel, a strong hold maintained on the material by the author. Yet the feeling I have is that the characters are not her puppets, but real souls who travel their own paths through the beautiful space she has drawn out and mapped. Bessie is like a wise storyteller interpreting a true tale at the fireside, and in her hands everything springs to glowing green life as if the rains have fallen.
This book is part of my required reading for the Unisa BA course that I’m busy with at time of writing, so please forgive me if I go a little deeper with this review than my regular offerings.Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a jou This book is part of my required reading for the Unisa BA course that I’m busy with at time of writing, so please forgive me if I go a little deeper with this review than my regular offerings.Firstly, I need to look at the context in which this book was written. Bessie Head, the child of a white mother and a black father, was born during a time in South Africa when interracial marriages were illegal, so she grew up within a racially segregated country. She was also involved in the media as a journalist, which naturally made her more outspoken and vulnerable to persecution due to her opinions, which were contrary to the government of the time.
Consequently, she went to live in Botswana in 1964 as a refugee rather than endure the apartheid regime.These issues lend authenticity to When the Rain Clouds Gather, as one of the primary characters, Makhaya, is a South African insurgent who has fled to Botswana, where he plans to live in exile. He is caught in a social no man’s land – a wanted man in South Africa, and unwanted by elements in Botswana.In the novel, Head spends a lot of time examining the human condition, especially in the conflict that arises between traditionalism, colonialism and the need for progressive thought.
Botswana at the time is a land administered by the British, but is still ruled by tribal chiefs. Great disparity exists between a wealthy elite (the chiefs) and the common folk. There is little in the way of education, and people prefer to stick to their time-honoured traditions as a way of life.This in itself would not present much of a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the Botswanan countryside is in the grips of a severe drought, and traditions have exacerbated issues such as soil erosion, which only compound the people’s plight. Much of the novel is related to the discussion of agriculture, and people’s relationship with the land and each other.Head puts great stock in the powerful metaphor of water in this thirstland, from which the title of the book derives.“You may see no rivers on the ground but we keep the rivers inside us. That is why all good things and all good people are called rain. Sometimes we see the rain clouds gather even though not a cloud appears in the sky.
It is all in our heart.”People are central to this story – as agents of change and progress, as nurturers, and of course obstacles that result in great evil.Primary to the narrative is Makhaya, who is troubled, and whose faith in people has been damaged. When he arrives at the village of Golema Mmidi, he is rootless and has no real plans going forward. He has a lot of residual anger too, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, and of not being able to create the change he’d like to see. We learn that he is a man who is dissatisfied with traditional values and who also has no great love for authority figures (which is understandable, considering that he has fled South Africa).Yet in the village, he encounters a white man, Gilbert, who has also rejected his home (Britain) for the life of a pioneer in Africa.
In the UK, Gilbert is stifled, forced to live according to social conventions. He is once again coming up against tradition in Africa, yet he is a dreamer who sees boundless potential for prosperity, and here he feels he is in a position to inspire those around him to strive for this brighter future.Together, Makhaya and Gilbert work for a change for the better in the village, because they are able to think outside the box and are also not afraid to try new methods when they see that the old ways aren’t working.But we are also faced with the two chiefs. Paramount Chief Sekoto is not a bad man, though he enjoys the many fruits of his powerful position. It is at his behest that the biggest decisions affecting his lands and his people are made. For all his faults, he is a generous man, and he has a good relationship with the British administrators and his own people. Although his younger brother Matenge is the opposite to him, that same generosity of spirit sees him give Matenge the benefit of his doubt. Chief Matenge rules over Golema Mmdi but he is a small-minded, petty man, concerned that he should be respected because of who and what he is.
For him it is all about the principle of being the one in power rather than caring for and guiding a community as a true leader. Consequently, Matenge sees the free-spirited Makhaya as a threat to his authority, and machinates against him.Perhaps the most telling is Head’s way of framing the attitudes of the tradition-bound chiefs:“The Matenges and Paramount Chiefs Sekotos did not have to lift up the spades and dig the earth. It cost them nothing to say yes, yes, yes, build your dam because we have no water in this country.
But it gave them deep and perverted joy to say no, no, no.”Two women feature. One is Maria, the daughter of the elder Dinorego, who is an apt counterpart for Gilbert. Their courtship takes place in fits and starts, but its conclusion is nonetheless a cause for joy in an otherwise bleak setting. Paulina, the other primary female character, has her sights set on Makhaya, but they must first see eye to eye, and make important realisations about themselves before anything can move ahead.In the end, life goes on for the villagers, despite death, despite drought, and the beautiful simplicity of love and family, and their interconnectedness with each other and the land. All this continues, despite the intentions of the powers that be – the joy and goodness of people flow through everything. I previously read Maru, by the same author, and found it well-written but disturbing, given that the central 'romance' consists of the male protagonist stalking, manipulating and putting down the female protagonist.
So I expected to really enjoy another book by Head, with a different plot. Unfortunately, while this one isn't disturbing, nor is it engaging.
The book tells us a lot about the characters and they tell each other a lot about agriculture, without their ever coming to life in a way tha I previously read Maru, by the same author, and found it well-written but disturbing, given that the central 'romance' consists of the male protagonist stalking, manipulating and putting down the female protagonist. So I expected to really enjoy another book by Head, with a different plot. Unfortunately, while this one isn't disturbing, nor is it engaging.
The book tells us a lot about the characters and they tell each other a lot about agriculture, without their ever coming to life in a way that would draw me in. I read 121 out of 188 pages, until I realized there was no reason to continue to drag myself through something that isn't entertaining. Too many other books are waiting!
Bessie Head's books are short but is filled to the brim with characters who become elements of study. In When Rain clouds gather, she steps back from story telling and allows her characters to teach the readers who are observing in on the changes that's starting to take place in the quiet rural farming village. The story is a study in disappointment and hope. Head plays in twos; be it in Maru or in When rain clouds gather, she uses dualism to further her ideas and spin a twist on contradiction. Bessie Head's books are short but is filled to the brim with characters who become elements of study.
In When Rain clouds gather, she steps back from story telling and allows her characters to teach the readers who are observing in on the changes that's starting to take place in the quiet rural farming village. The story is a study in disappointment and hope. Head plays in twos; be it in Maru or in When rain clouds gather, she uses dualism to further her ideas and spin a twist on contradiction.
Personally, When Rain clouds gather held a sense of familiarity. The writing is slow, often satirical and self deprecating humor. It didn't hit home the way Maru did though still very good. Bessie Head manages to saturate “When Rain Clouds Gather” with a thoroughly winning concoction of generous bitterness.
Though numerous antagonists, injustices and misfortunes beset the sympathetic characters of her book, they don’t sour the atmosphere or poison the narrative—this is refreshingly different from some of the continent’s unrepentantly sourpuss authors like Achebe and Coetzee. The balance of discontent and gratitude that carries the novel also exists within some of the more nuanced c Bessie Head manages to saturate “When Rain Clouds Gather” with a thoroughly winning concoction of generous bitterness. Though numerous antagonists, injustices and misfortunes beset the sympathetic characters of her book, they don’t sour the atmosphere or poison the narrative—this is refreshingly different from some of the continent’s unrepentantly sourpuss authors like Achebe and Coetzee.
The balance of discontent and gratitude that carries the novel also exists within some of the more nuanced characters, such as Makhaya and Paulina. Been meaning to read the work of this author for years, so when I saw this book on the shelf in Dog Eared Books on Castro, I snagged it immediately. So glad I did - I loved the book, and will look for more by this author. The gender politics of the book would not pass muster today (the book was first published in 1969, I believe), but we've all seen a lot worse, and not just in the classics, either. The central character is a South African man who's fled to Botswana (the author herself was South Been meaning to read the work of this author for years, so when I saw this book on the shelf in Dog Eared Books on Castro, I snagged it immediately.
So glad I did - I loved the book, and will look for more by this author. The gender politics of the book would not pass muster today (the book was first published in 1969, I believe), but we've all seen a lot worse, and not just in the classics, either. The central character is a South African man who's fled to Botswana (the author herself was South African living in Botswana) in the early days of independence, when South Africa was still in the horrific grip of apartheid. The mix of political economy, philosophy, and romance is perhaps peculiar, but I found it charming, as if Jane Austen had been a Fabian Socialist/African radical. This book is one of the most complex I've read.
Bessie Head as a realist writer, her characters and their relationships aren't shallow. Which makes it easier to follow the/ir development. There's an an autobiographic feel about the story; Just like Head, the protagonist, Makhaya, was a journalist in apartheid South Africa who emigrates and settle in Botswana.
The entire length of the story is how he integrates himself in his new community, thrown in with themes of hope, trust, faith, tribalism, This book is one of the most complex I've read. Bessie Head as a realist writer, her characters and their relationships aren't shallow. Which makes it easier to follow the/ir development.
There's an an autobiographic feel about the story; Just like Head, the protagonist, Makhaya, was a journalist in apartheid South Africa who emigrates and settle in Botswana. The entire length of the story is how he integrates himself in his new community, thrown in with themes of hope, trust, faith, tribalism, change.Head offers a lot of explicit descriptions of agricultural practices, but what interested me more is how she creates implied narratives with ideologies (Christianity, democracy, authoritarianism) in the story, and she also does the same with most characters, keeping the reader outside looking in.
I suspect the latter, Head used as agency for otherness, a theme she carries in all her books. A recommended read for those interested in gardening/nature literature, not my cup of tea.2.5/5. Like all of Bessie Head's books from the first sentences you feel you are in good hands.
She is simply a great writer. She is good at so many different aspects of storytelling. She writes complicated narratives without over-explaining or talking down to the reader. She delves into history and society without making that setting the main aim of her books.
Above all she writes incredible characters. In the fantastic first chapter, When the Rain Clouds Gather, Head offers a master class in characte Like all of Bessie Head's books from the first sentences you feel you are in good hands. She is simply a great writer. She is good at so many different aspects of storytelling. She writes complicated narratives without over-explaining or talking down to the reader. She delves into history and society without making that setting the main aim of her books.
Above all she writes incredible characters. In the fantastic first chapter, When the Rain Clouds Gather, Head offers a master class in characterisation as we meet Makhaya, on the run from South Africa and trying to find his way across the border into Botswana. We are given intriguing glimpses into his character but Head never feels the need to tell us everything. Throughout the book she lets her characters show themselves through their action.The quality tales off after the beautifully written first chapter and takes a while to refind its flow.
Makhaya meets Gilbert, a white man interested in agricultural practices and the improvement of work on the land in Botswana and helps him with his projects in a Botswanan border village. Head describes many of the projects in great detail but always keeps it relevant to the plot and the descriptions of the people and the village. The village characters are introduced one and by and Head never allows a character to escape as a mere cut out, everyone is fleshed out. The angry Chief, the older lady, Paulina who falls for Makhaya; every character is given a back story, clear motives, a part to play.The story seems to meander at times but it is never boring. Village life is shown through the celebrations and traditions, the gossip and the rumours, the work of the woman while the men are out in the fields, the descriptions of the land and the weather that rules their existence, the contrasts and conflicts between Gilbert's desire to improve their lot and the traditions of tribal culture that hold him back, the projects they untake (Makhaya and the woman beginning the tabacco plantations is a great scene, imbued with such a human essence). Head's dialogues keep the novel fresh and real; her handling and representation of the Botswanan reality she wants to present is deft, critical and sympathetic. In a short 200 pages she transports us to a corner of the world we would otherwise never know, shows us the people their and their lives.The final chapters are more direct, driven by the romance of Makhaya and Paulina which is never oversimplified and given time to develop.
The scenes on the cattle fields are the one horrific element to the story and the imagery is disturbing and powerful, yet in essence this a book full of positive energy, work and action, an impulse towards change. The scene when the villages gather to defend Paulina from the Chief's accusations, whatever they may be, epitifies this feeling. Head leaves us with many loose threads, a feeling that life isn't easy or safe, but that it is also hopeful. Still not my favourite (the impact of The Cardinals makes it, for me, the best piece of work by Bessie Head) but another great piece of writing from a master of the craft. Before tripping in the Caribbean I stopped by Lehman College's library to get some more reading materials for my three weeks on buses, boats, planes and waiting that would be a big part of Central and the Americas' travel plans. I wanted to get back into Hughes, and the play by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston was great, though I wanted some other LIGHTER pieces.Bessie Head, whom I'd never heard of, wrote a brilliant, packed story of the refugee experience. Makhayla is a fugitive from South Afric Before tripping in the Caribbean I stopped by Lehman College's library to get some more reading materials for my three weeks on buses, boats, planes and waiting that would be a big part of Central and the Americas' travel plans.
I wanted to get back into Hughes, and the play by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston was great, though I wanted some other LIGHTER pieces.Bessie Head, whom I'd never heard of, wrote a brilliant, packed story of the refugee experience. Makhayla is a fugitive from South Africa trying to settle in Botswana. This book is rich in imagery, ideology and native ways clashing with Imperialistic attitudes. Though not how you'd normally guess. Ironically, some of the biggest oppressors are from within their OWN. Brings back memories of the Slave Trade and how tribal chiefs were profiteering from that business just as the Europeans were taking the greater risks and doing far more work stealing people, perhaps for a greater gain. Yet, many history books neglect to explain Black Africans' complicitty within this devastating period.Favorite quotes:158-For so long there had been this grey graveyard in which he had lived.
And who could tell what ghosts really do when they come alive in the dark night?128-134Religious Hypocricies, Hitler and the 'Black Dog' syndrome. All this plus the Battle of the Sexes that come up ocassionally are all in this very short story.For these and many other reasons, I'll get as many copies for my Freshman this fall to read as supplementary pieces to Obama's Dreams, and The Poisonwood Bible and A Long Way Gone. This book is about a South African political refugee who settles in a village in Botswana, soon after its colonial independence, whilst fleeing the system of apartheid in South Africa.
I found this book quite poignant but inspiring at the same time. The dry, arid setting of Botswana worked well for a story about loss, frustration and the difficulty of migration for those seeking political refuge in foreign lands.
The characters were full of complexity and their response to the adverse environmen This book is about a South African political refugee who settles in a village in Botswana, soon after its colonial independence, whilst fleeing the system of apartheid in South Africa. I found this book quite poignant but inspiring at the same time. The dry, arid setting of Botswana worked well for a story about loss, frustration and the difficulty of migration for those seeking political refuge in foreign lands. The characters were full of complexity and their response to the adverse environment they found themselves in showed an admirable resilience. The author examines themes of identity, belonging, culture and gender, loss, grief and personal renewal. All in all this book left me with a big sigh at the end, not because I was sad but I was in awe and proud of Bessie Head. I enjoyed Maru and many of her short stories (which I read many years ago in high school) but never read her other novels.
This one is definitely one of her greatest works and I will be recommending it to friends and family! Bessie Head has crafted a really joyful, painful, hopeful novel out of a small village just outside of ZA. Makhaya, one of the central characters, has such an appealing intelligence and thoughtful nature, it's hard not to get sucked into his story. He's not always been a good man, but he's starting over, trying to get his bearings, trying to find love.The character interactions are well written, there's no shallowness to their relationships.
The sorrow that enters during the drought year is tend Bessie Head has crafted a really joyful, painful, hopeful novel out of a small village just outside of ZA. Makhaya, one of the central characters, has such an appealing intelligence and thoughtful nature, it's hard not to get sucked into his story. He's not always been a good man, but he's starting over, trying to get his bearings, trying to find love.The character interactions are well written, there's no shallowness to their relationships. The sorrow that enters during the drought year is tenderly addressed, by both Head and Makhaya, and you really feel how much she loves the people she's modeled her novel after.
Her use of language is at times painfully beautiful, especially during Makhaya's passages of thought. Loved this novel.
Really loved it. This book is transformative. It ended too soon like most pleasures I know. My favourite characters are Makhaya, Maria, Paulina Sebeso &Mme Milliped amongst which I saw myself a lot in Paulina's character. I often say God speaks to me through books and this just proved it once again.My rating is by no means exaggerated,I absolutely enjoyed Bessie's writing in that she managed to address issues of religion, politics,morality, agriculture, entrepreneurship,romance & human development amongs This book is transformative. It ended too soon like most pleasures I know. My favourite characters are Makhaya, Maria, Paulina Sebeso &Mme Milliped amongst which I saw myself a lot in Paulina's character.
I often say God speaks to me through books and this just proved it once again.My rating is by no means exaggerated,I absolutely enjoyed Bessie's writing in that she managed to address issues of religion, politics,morality, agriculture, entrepreneurship,romance & human development amongst other things all intergrated with such creativity and an exquisite story telling style.When rain clouds gather is a legendary book and its relevance will remain preserved. I recommend it highly,not only as a must read but also as a must have in your collection. This book is about life in a rural Botswana village.
It starts with Makhaya fleeing South Africa for neighbouring Botswana and seeking refugee status in a rural farming village. In South Africa he has been the victim of apartheid and police brutality. In the village he meets various characters including Gilbert an Englishman who is trying to change farming methods but is having to battle the corrupt chief Matenge.
The books touches on the chief system, the role of women, the various farming met This book is about life in a rural Botswana village. It starts with Makhaya fleeing South Africa for neighbouring Botswana and seeking refugee status in a rural farming village. In South Africa he has been the victim of apartheid and police brutality.
In the village he meets various characters including Gilbert an Englishman who is trying to change farming methods but is having to battle the corrupt chief Matenge. The books touches on the chief system, the role of women, the various farming methods employed, the tragedy of a drought and life in Botswana. It is certainly an interesting picture of African life and a good read. Reading the book was literary bliss. I had to pause regularly and ponder on the strong, insightful and thought provoking viewpoints that Head made through her characters. The author once again draws from her personal experiences.
She effectively psychoanalyzes her characters as she relates their eventful journeys. She relates of a foreigner in a strange land. Of alienation. Being different. Of outspoken proactive, educated women. Of a woman Maria with a double personality. It was Reading the book was literary bliss.
I had to pause regularly and ponder on the strong, insightful and thought provoking viewpoints that Head made through her characters. The author once again draws from her personal experiences. She effectively psychoanalyzes her characters as she relates their eventful journeys.
She relates of a foreigner in a strange land. Of alienation. Being different. Of outspoken proactive, educated women. Of a woman Maria with a double personality.
It was written about Maria that ' there were two women in her- one was soft and meditative and the other was full of ruthless common sense, and the two uncongenial personalities clashed and contradicted each other all the time' All of the above being Head's personality traits.The setting is a small semi dessert village in Botswana. The village was mainly a haven for exiles and individuals who had experienced personal tragedy and were seeking peace, freedom, and a new home.What resonated with me was that exile is not automatic freedom. The grass may not be greener on the other side. Makhanya fled South Africa, but encountered status and tribal prejudices in Botswana instead.
Also that tribalism, racism and hatred does not surpass love, human generosity and selflessness.The book is also loud on the fact that, that which is different should not be automatically dismissed or shunned. That may be where sustainable, fresh solutions could originate, when the uniqueness is embraced, implemented and allowed to flourish.Bessie managed to successfully transport me to the world of chief Seroke and Matenge. Where as a reader I felt in the thick of things, feeling the scorching sun, witnessing the death of animals, and tobacco farming. I could clearly witness the torn clothes, bare feet, and malnourished people and animals.A classic rubber stamped by great wisdom and personal experience.
Bessie Head creates an environment that has a very contemporary feel in her novel, an environment that easily fits into our understandings of (southern African) society today, although there is a rather Utopian feel to her creation, that of a small rural town set in the past that would only exist today because it has been forgotten. Her writing is a pleasure to read; although not necessarily engaging. Head is insightful, and there is a strong sense of truth in the creation of her characters and Bessie Head creates an environment that has a very contemporary feel in her novel, an environment that easily fits into our understandings of (southern African) society today, although there is a rather Utopian feel to her creation, that of a small rural town set in the past that would only exist today because it has been forgotten. Her writing is a pleasure to read; although not necessarily engaging. Head is insightful, and there is a strong sense of truth in the creation of her characters and in her writing. There is a proper understanding of her characters which comes from her personal understanding of Zulu, Tswana, and white cultural thought.
The story is clearly and deliberately a mirroring of her own personal experiences and political and socio-economical thoughts. However, having said that, I never truly felt for her characters - in love or in hardship I was never truly emotionally invested in their outcome and in a sense I felt they were never truly invested in their own feelings. Head's understanding of the other, in various forms (Gilbert, Makhaya, Paulina), is apparent but never properly delved into as it could have been. This novel is a great way to portray the insights and feelings of the politically disadvantaged without creating anger or resentment within the reader. A way to open ones mind to the other without hate or indignation.
I can see why it would be a set book in South Africa, while being an easy read, it speaks volumes to those who need to learn about the disadvantages many people face - politically, socially, legally, even environmentally.Needed for a University Module; bought at Bargain Books (Amanzimtoti; KwaZulu Natal). Read around the world Botswana.I enjoyed the insight into the political, social and tribal life in Botswana. This book highlights the fact that it is not only rich white nations who taken advantage of the native people of Botswana but also their own tribal chiefs and people in power.I liked the idea that by working together as a co-operative and by growing crops that can make a profit the native farmers or more specifically their wives could actually earn themselves a living. While this was a gr Read around the world Botswana.I enjoyed the insight into the political, social and tribal life in Botswana. This book highlights the fact that it is not only rich white nations who taken advantage of the native people of Botswana but also their own tribal chiefs and people in power.I liked the idea that by working together as a co-operative and by growing crops that can make a profit the native farmers or more specifically their wives could actually earn themselves a living.
While this was a great idea in principle the harsh Botswana weather brings tragedy to the people that not even a co-operative can prevent. Makhaya is a refugee from South Africa. He describes a Botswana that is administered by Britain but where tribal leaders still have a lot of power. Bessie Head herself was a refugee because she was half black and half white during the apartheid, as well as being an outspoken journalist.
Clearly this lent authenticity to Makhaya’s voice. Another character seeking freedom is the British born, Gilbert. He feels like he should have been born in Botswana as he doesn’t feel comfortable in “stuffy” Eng Makhaya is a refugee from South Africa. He describes a Botswana that is administered by Britain but where tribal leaders still have a lot of power.
Bessie Head herself was a refugee because she was half black and half white during the apartheid, as well as being an outspoken journalist. Clearly this lent authenticity to Makhaya’s voice. Another character seeking freedom is the British born, Gilbert. He feels like he should have been born in Botswana as he doesn’t feel comfortable in “stuffy” England.
The book has some interesting details about tribal life in Botswana like how some tribes refused to grow the millet crop because it was ‘inferior’, but it would have been a financially wise decision. All cultures are sometimes guilty of using tradition as an excuse to do certain things that are not in their best interests.