Read this when
Nervous Conditions
'I was not sorry when my brother died.' Dangarembga's first line is a slap, and then she makes you understand it completely.
Who it's for
Tambu's opening confession that she was not sorry when her brother died is shocking, and the novel spends its length making that feeling understandable: he was the one the family educated, and she was the one expected to stay home.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Tsitsi Dangarembga's 1988 debut novel, set in 1960s Rhodesia, is narrated by Tambu, a girl from a poor Shona family who opens by recounting the death of her older brother Nhamo, the child the family chose to educate. After his death, her educated uncle Babamukuru invites her to take Nhamo's place at his mission school.
Where to find it
In print; available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: An eating disorder and a father's beating.
Age: Ages 14+
I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Chapter XXIII
