Out of Shadows

Sep 30, 2011 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-grief, history-smishtory, hometown-glories-uk, just-been-cutting-onions, ya, hometown-ya

3.5 stars.

“I nodded subserviently while inside I was chewing over his words: tipped the balance of power. It seemed a strange expression to me because it gave me an image of a seesaw, and when one end was up the other was always down. It was never actually balanced.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
What… wait.. was that…? No.. it couldn’t be. Could that be an epilogue that didn’t make me superfluously angry?! I believe it was. Gosh.
And also… sadness.

High Points.
Let’s hear it for the boys. History....more

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Aug 30, 2011 Readingjay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: award-winner, ya, 2011, british

As somebody who has had a bit to do with YA judging in recent years, I try to keep up as much as I can with international award winners. Out of Shadows was the winner of the 2010 Costa, the 2011 Branford Boase Award and the UKLA Children's Book Award, It was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Booktrust Teenage Prize so I came with high hopes. Hopes that were not disappointed. I sat up into the night to finish this layered, terrifying, very political YA novel.

"You see that? My father

...more As somebody who has had a bit to do with YA judging in recent years, I try to keep up as much as I can with international award winners. Out of Shadows was the winner of the 2010 Costa, the 2011 Branford Boase Award and the UKLA Children's Book Award, It was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Booktrust Teenage Prize so I came with high hopes. Hopes that were not disappointed. I sat up into the night to finish this layered, terrifying, very political YA novel.

"You see that? My father spoke with the gaze of a child looking through a toy shop window. There goes a great, great man. He's given the people freedom. What could be greater than that?

The 'great, great man' is Robert Mugabe. It is 1983 and our protagonist, also called Robert, has been brought to Zimbabwe where his liberal father has a posting in the British Embassy. Hopes are high and so are entrenched attitudes from many of the white minority.

A boarding school novel has certain tropes, one of which is a bully. Add racism to the mix, for lip service must be made to educating bright young blacks in the exclusive school, and the scenario elevates to an altogether different level.

Jason Wallace positions the reader into a curious situation. We are reading young Robert's story through his recollections of those years, and both he and the reader knows what comes next. He is the ultimate omniscient narrator - there's not a whiff of unreliability about him. We hear the arguments of the white settlers who are terrified of losing their land and would do anything to keep it. At times we are totally in agreement with their point of view. We also see the most appalling racism, and we then see the world through black eyes. We see brutality. We see kindness. We see the best of humanity and the worst. Such is the mess that is Zimbabwe, then and now - no easy answers anywhere.

The theme of betrayal runs throughout. Not only Mugabe's betrayal of his promises, but Robert's betrayal of his own values to earn a place in the boarding house and his father's betrayal of Robert, albeit for the motives of protecting his desperately homesick wife.

Political as it is, this is also a complex, intelligent and extremely readable novel. The pace is cracking and the final pages, although perhaps a bit thriller-y, unputdownable. With its many layers to unpick, this would be an excellent class novel or literature circle title.

Jason Wallace's website: http://www.jwallace.co.uk/(less)

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Jun 10, 2013 Rll595ag_thomasjakovlic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: international-literature, historical-fiction

What do you do when your father is an idealistic ex civil servant from Britain who has relocated to Africa, and you enter Zimbabwe's social upheaval between white Rhodesian Afrikaans and native Zimbabwean's who want to assert their independence and new found power? This is the situation that Robert our teenage protagonist is thrown into in Jason Wallace's "Out of Shadows". The context is set early as Robert's father a British civil servant exclaims that to his son that colonial Britain should ri...more What do you do when your father is an idealistic ex civil servant from Britain who has relocated to Africa, and you enter Zimbabwe's social upheaval between white Rhodesian Afrikaans and native Zimbabwean's who want to assert their independence and new found power? This is the situation that Robert our teenage protagonist is thrown into in Jason Wallace's "Out of Shadows". The context is set early as Robert's father a British civil servant exclaims that to his son that colonial Britain should rightfully return the control of the country to native Zimbabwe's African population. The father has repatriated himself to the new Zimbabwe, and just placed his 13 year old son to an all male boarding school. The year is 1983. Britain has relinquished power to Zimbabwean military. Mugabe is the new leader, but no one at the time realizes that he will be a violently merciless to his own citizens and the former Rhodesian farmer overlords. Meanwhile, Robert is torn between making new friends and keeping his cultural allegiances to the white Afrikaan peers, while he tries to understand the nationalist desires and new found pride of his young native cohorts.

What makes Jason Wallace's book so authentic is not only that he describes the wild native beauty of the African savannah with such breathtaking detail, or that he understands the inner workings of a boarding school, Wallace attended a Zimbabwean's boarding school as a youth, instead it his intimate understanding of the power struggle and violence in the aftermath of the Zimbabwean's struggle for independence that is so apparent to the reader. Wallace doesn't pull any punches in describing how the Rhodesian farmer school boys are just looking to reassert their lost dominance in the social order. They will recruit any new white student to their cause, and Robert is on their list. Jason Wallace shows that 13 year old teenagers are not immune to the peer pressure nor nearly mentally resilient enough to overcome the social maelstrom of intimidation and violence that is not only consuming the minds and actions of the farmer boys. Robert inexorably gets sucked into the ethical vacuum of rationalized brutality, and we seem him gang beating his black brothers with Ivan and his thugs. This is not an easy book to read, or digest as to why Robert at least can't resist his cultural affinities to see the evil nature of his behaviors. Fortunately our protagonist eventually has a tug of at his conscience. Is it after a white teacher is raped, or after several innocent native Afrikaans many who early in the book befriended him are viciously abused. Either way, we see how Robert father's comments about who are the truly rightful owners of Zimbabwe and how his actions are causing havoc and pain comes to climax. Robert has an epiphany, and the novel then quickly accelerates to a new suspenseful climax. When a teacher poses the question "if you had a gun to Mugabe's head, comparing him to Hitler, would you pull the trigger.", Robert goes from villain to heroic champion, and the transformation of his spirit will pull all participants, good and bad, into a climatic ending with national ramifications to Zimbabwean's future.

This is not a book for middle school students. The brutal violence, and derogatory and vicious thoughts of a whole range of characters makes this a hard read with mature themes and ambiguous actions. "Out of Shadows" is a novel that talks in frank terms about what happens when a nation still has its white overlords wanting retribution for their losses of land, power, and prestige to their former social underlings. Jason Wallace's book would be a perfect novel for World History high school students who want an intimate look at how African independence is often a bloody and muddled journey. Wallace's ending me a bit unrealistic, but it appeals to young adult readers who want both a villainous and heroic character. Robert fits that bill in every way. The language, actions, and real life drama between these two cultures level of the boarding school is gripping literature. Parallels and differences between disenfranchised Rhodesian farmers and the Southern plantation whites of the Reconstructed South in the 1870's would provide Social Studies teachers with ample material for discussion and student research. As a literary example of ambiguity of character, and the idea of choices Robert makes and why, Jason Wallace's "Out of Shadows" gives educators many themes to explore: racism, peer pressure, politics, and corrupting influence power has on individuals. (less)

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May 11, 2011 Mike added it · review of another edition

Genre: Young Adult
Awards:
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
The novel is set in post revolutionary Zimbabwe. The narrator and protagonist, Robert Jacklin is a white British boy that relocated to Zimbabwe with his parents. Robert’s father came to Zimbabwe for a career in civil service. As a boy Robert is sent to Haven, a previously “all-white” boarding school. In order to please his father Robert befriends a young black student named Nelson .The school still has a very low proportion of black pupils despite Mug...more Genre: Young Adult
Awards:
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
The novel is set in post revolutionary Zimbabwe. The narrator and protagonist, Robert Jacklin is a white British boy that relocated to Zimbabwe with his parents. Robert’s father came to Zimbabwe for a career in civil service. As a boy Robert is sent to Haven, a previously “all-white” boarding school. In order to please his father Robert befriends a young black student named Nelson .The school still has a very low proportion of black pupils despite Mugabe’s attempts at integration. As a result, the few black students who attend Haven are frequently subject to abuse by the native white population. Eventually fearing harassment from the white students, Robert distances himself from Nelson.

Robert falls in with a white boy named Ivan, who takes Robert under his wing. Ivan is a furious and intemperate young man who perceives himself as a victim of racial integration. Ivan longs for his home, as it existed before the war. Ivan is subject to abuse at home and worries about his future being in the hands of the new government. Although Mugabe aims to promote equality white farmers fear that the government will take their land despite promises otherwise. This fear fuels Ivan’s fathers and consequently Ivan’s passionate rage. Later Ivan encounters and is inspired by a man of action, the glorious Mr. Van Hout. As Ivan becomes closer to Mr. van Hout Robert must finally pick a side in the ensuing fight.
Evaluation: Overall the book was a good choice for a teen audience however it presented the reader with details that may not have been appropriate. That being said the book would be a good choice for an individual to read however it would not be suitable for a public institution to distribute to students.
Description of ending: Open: Although the main character has moved on the place he left behind has only plunged further into violence and turmoil. The character and the reader are lefts with many “what if” questions that are not answered. Many of the questions brought up in the story have still not been answered today and will not be answered with the current state of the government.
Suggestions:
This book was an excellent book that other authors could benefit from reading.
Pages I would read aloud:
Page 4 Particularly the part where Robert’s father praises Mugabe and calls him a hero.
Page 149 This page exemplifies the corruption and distortion perfectly.
Page 250 This page exemplifies Robert’s inner turmoil.
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Apr 09, 2013 Charlotte rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: carnegie-books, disapointments, worst-main-characters-ever

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 17, 2013 Elsa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: obsession

It is 11PM. I should be studying for my upcoming exams. I should be finishing up my homework. Heck, I probably should be asleep. Yet I'm not, because I just had to finsh the book. So, after spending an hour or two finishing the last couple of intense chapters, I'm done..

I won't make this a long review for a couple of reasons. One being that I'm typing on my iPad, and it's really frustrating to type on a small screen.

What I love about novels like these is the context. The novel was set in Zimbabw...more

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May 12, 2013 Rll595ag_fabiolaginski rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This was a very hard book to read for me. Indeed, had it not been for the fact that it was a class assignment; I probably would not have finished it. It is definitely an authentic book in terms of the historical references. The fact that the author lived and attended school in the same country and in similar circumstances as the characters in the novel, gives the book veracity and adds to the level of interest. By the same token, however, I found the topic and the events depicted to be very hard...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Wallace, Jason. (2011). Out of Shadows. New York: Holiday House. 282 pp. ISBN 978-0-8234-2342-2 (Hard Cover); $17.95.*

Books that transport students to other countries are always books that capture my attention, especially books like Out of Shadows in which we travel back in time to Zimbabwe during President Mugabe’s problematic rule during the eighties. I enjoy when this travel forces us to confront our views about race, but from the context of a less familiar government and a less familiar soci...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Anne Hamilton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is such a well-paced, suspenseful novel with finely-executed foreshadowing set in the early days of Zimbabwe’s independence that I hesitate over rating it so low. The story traces the life of Robert Jacklin during his years at one of the country’s finest private schools. The characters are complex, believable and strongly-drawn with all the insecurities, insouciant cruelty and foul language of adolescence.

I guess it's that thoughtless, nonchalant cruelty that decided the matter in the end....more

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Jan 06, 2012 Stefanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, 2011, ya, washyarg-reviews

This is an important book, although one that might not find a wide readership due to an unappealing cover and a somewhat slow start. The book becomes more thrilling in the second half, but it also becomes more morally complex. This is best given to sophisticated readers who enjoy historical fiction and school drama (but obviously not the fluffy kind). A haunting read.

It is 1980s Zimbabwe, a few years after the war for independence that brought Mugabe into power. Robert and his family have just m...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Beth Bonini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This YA novel is set in Zimbabwe in 1983, not long after the Rhodesian Civil War has ended. Mugabe has recently come to power, and still carries the hopes of his people. (It is interesting to telescope back to a time when "Mugabe" didn't immediately bring the words "villianous dictator" to mind.) Robert Jacklin, a British boy whose father is in the Foreign Office, has just joined an all-male boarding school in Harare. Although the school is mostly populated by the white sons of Rhodesian farmers...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Talia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction

Robert Jacklin has just moved from England to Zimbabwe shortly after its war for independence in 1983. Robert starts school at a nearby boarding school, but finds that many of his classmates are not in favor of Mugabe or the new country that has formed.

I give this book some props for the interesting topic and the writing. The author does a good job of “showing”, such as the progression of Ivan’s evilness, or other actions in the story. But then the narrative aspect of the story kinda bugged me....more

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Aug 06, 2011 Cornmaven rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-school, historical-fiction-high-school, hs-adult, historical-fiction-adult

Awesome historical novel, covering a country and political event not normally found in historical fiction. Wallace takes Zimbabwe's war of independence and exposes the folly of everyone who lusts after power. The journey of an English kid transplanted to an exclusive boarding school in a country now ruled by Robert Mugabe, is a journey filled with fear, desire to belong, and violence. Wallace uses the intense bullying present at the school to mirror Mugabe's regime. Everyone is complicit in the...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Set in Zimbabwe in the 1980s after a series of violent civil wars, this novel follows the struggles of Robert Jacklin who attends a boarding school after his family moves from England to Zimbabwe. Robert's father empathizes with the blacks who have been oppressed in the past and sees this as a time to heal wounds and make up for inequities. His mother is depressed and just wants to return home. It's hard to know much about her because of the way she is drawn in the book. As a new boy, Robert is...more

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May 11, 2011 Gavin Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was interesting, It is a good example of historic fiction, because it follows the life of a boy (Robert), who moves to Zimbabwe just after it has been granted independence from Britain. Throughout the novel it shows Robert Mugabe's acceptance by the people of the country, and how the whites are treated after blacks gain rule, and how white people of the country feel toward blacks, before and after the change of power.
Much of the emotion in the book comes from the change of power and m...more

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May 09, 2011 Katie Heriot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Autobiography

Awards: Costa Award

Summary: Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace is set in Zimbabwe in 1983 after a violent bush war and struggle for black independence. The story takes place at a prestigious boy’s private boarding school. The new beliefs of peace and freedom for Zimbabwe have posed an issue for a traditional school struggling to adapt to a changing environment. Admissions of black teachers and students have made it harder for the original students to cope. Th...more

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May 08, 2011 Steven Gottfried rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Genre: Historical Fiction/Autobiography
Award: Costa Award
Summary:
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace is about an expatriate servant, Robert Jacklin. The story is set in Zimbabwe in 1983 after the Bush War has ended. The man in power, Robert Mugabe. After Jacklin’s arrival, he enrolls in prestigious, all-boys, boarding school. But, the school is not all that prestigious after all. Many of the attendees dislike the few black children that attend the school, and Robert is immediately introduced to and...more Genre: Historical Fiction/Autobiography
Award: Costa Award
Summary:
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace is about an expatriate servant, Robert Jacklin. The story is set in Zimbabwe in 1983 after the Bush War has ended. The man in power, Robert Mugabe. After Jacklin’s arrival, he enrolls in prestigious, all-boys, boarding school. But, the school is not all that prestigious after all. Many of the attendees dislike the few black children that attend the school, and Robert is immediately introduced to and joins in with the fear, but not racism, of the white children. Robert, who is already an outsider in the school, must drop his father’s ideas that the return of Zimbabwe to the people of Zimbabwe is just, and adopt the ideas of the other boys in the school. His father encourages him to see the new regime as hopeful, but Robert is torn between believing his father and having sympathy for the colonial white people whose land was seized from them, and his newly found black friends.
Robert’s father admires Mugabe and refers to him as a “great, great man”. The boys repeatedly express that Mugabe will “come after the white people next.” This constantly instills fear in all of the children at the school. One of Robert’s dorm-mates, Ivan, quickly becomes a problem. Ivan orchestrates and participates in horrifically brutal atrocities on black-African children in a settlement near the school. Ivan is the son of a former Rhodesian soldier and farmer and wants to avenge his father’s defeat in the war and his family’s loss of their farm. Ivan views Mugabe as an African Adolf Hitler because of his dedicated history teacher. And because of this, hatches an assassination plot. As Robert grows throughout the story, he de-friends his black friend, Nelson, and becomes a cruel follower of Ivan’s evil and sadistic ways. He eventually pays for his consequences. But, he eventually falls short of Ivan’s ways, and stands up for what he believes is right.
Evaluation:
This book is a good example of this genre. The historical part is found in the Rhodesian Bush War which ended in 1979 and Robert Mugabe. But, the fiction part is found in the characters and stories behind the characters. The book is also a recollection of Wallace’s time spent in schools in Zimbabwe. I think the book is a very good example of the genre. It successfully fulfills each type of genre, historical fiction and autobiography. It was a very good book.
Ending:
I felt like the ending of the book was very open-ended. The problem, I felt, was not really solved and but left the reader with clearly defined areas of right and wrong. It ends with Robert as an adult questioning what he got himself involved in. It leaves the reader questioning what happened, should he have saved Mugabe’s life, should he have killed Ivan, and did he do Africa a favor or not?
Suggestions:
The allusions in this book are mostly towards the Rhodesian Bush War and Robert Mugabe. These both relate to Zimbabwe and the hardships that the country went through in the early 1970’s. This novel has helped shaped the literary genre it is in. It is a debut book that won an award. It is a double genre book, historical fiction/autobiography. This has helped many new authors become successful, like Wallace. I would suggest this book, it was very good.
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Apr 28, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reminded me of Lord of the Flies in its harsh depiction of boarding school life and brutal behaviour of the bullies. Hardly any adults around, and certainly not to be relied upon. Either useless or seen firing up youngsters to do their dirty work.

Language is gritty and realistic (especially when read with a South African accent!)

Robert is a character that grows up before your eyes: a gullible, lonely young boy, into a strong moral young man. His relationships with other characters make uncomfort...more

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Feb 21, 2010 Kirsty rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“If I stood you infront of a man, pressed the cold metal of a gun into your palm and told you to squeeze the trigger, would you do it?
“What if I told you we had gone back in time and his name was Adolf Hitler? Would you do it then? Would you?”
So begins Jason Wallace’s Out of the Shadows, a gripping “what if” post-independence tale set in a prestigious boy’s boarding school, struggling to adapt to the new integrated Zimbabwe.
The story is told through the eyes of Robert Jacklin, just arrived with...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars

A disturbing and upsetting look at life and reactions after Mugabe's rise to power in Zimbabwe, from the perspective of young white men cloistered together in a fairly rigid British-style boarding school. The behavior of the young men was not so surprising - perhaps Lord of Flies prepares us to expect some bad behavior, and certainly tales of such boarding schools (even Harry Potter's) does. The war was recently over, and none of them were provided with any assistance in handling the change - th...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The sole reason I even picked up this book was because of the review on the front cover from Markus Zusak, "Honest, brave, and devastating - more than just memorable. It's impossible to look away." Having just finished Zusaks' "The Messenger", I was eager to read any book he would describe in this manner. I was not disappointed.

I loved the narrative from the beginning. By the second chapter the quote, "And if someone had told me then how badly I would actually come to let him down- and in the wa...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Belen By rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the book of Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace. This book sparked my interest and it made me want to keep reading the book. There are a few reasons why it made want to keep reading. What made me want to read the book was how the book was being displayed at the library. Anther thing about how it was being displayed and brought to my attention was the front cover, the title of the book, and the picture of the front page. The story of "Out of Shadows" is about a twelve-year-old boy named Robert Ja...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Jan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, teenbooks

This is a historical novel that has great appeal to both teens and adults. The writing is sharp and poignant, the characters unforgettable. The story is set in Zimbabwe, at the beginning of the presidency of Robert Mugabe. Whites who remain in Zimbabwe hope that Mugabe will promote tolerance between whites and blacks, but great racial tension remains, as exemplified by the attitudes of boys in a private prep school in Zimbabwe. The narrator, Robert, is a student at the school and is troubled by...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Jenny / Wondrous Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: debut-author, for-review, highly-recommended, uk-author, signed, quoted

Out of Shadows is one of the best debut novels I've ever read. It's fantastically written, and has left me close to how I felt when I read The Book Thief for the first time. It's powerful and important, and at times horribly shocking. I sat there in stunned silence after reading one particular page, and had to take a minute to fully comprehend what had happened. That's strong writing, if ever I saw it.

Out of Shadows begins in 1983, a few years after the end of the Rhodesian Bush War (or the Zimb...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Jasmineluvsjb rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: december-reads

Imagine you move to a new school? Hard right? But imagine moving to a whole new country, where the customs are different, the people think different and a new school. Not to mention that the school is a boarding school. That's seems so hard right? Of coarse, and it is even harder then it sounds for Robert Jacklin, who moved from England all the way to the south African country of Zimbabwe. Right at the time where everything just started to calm down after the war, the civil war that has been goi...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Beaverton City Library Teens rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has intriguing descriptions of the brutality and confusion of life in Zimbabwe in the early 1980s. The main character, Robert Jacklin, is fictional but the author notes that he drew on life experience for the setting (an elite boarding school) if not the actual events that occur. That the book reads like a memoir is great in the beginning. The descriptions are rich and you feel Robert's confusion at having his life upturned when his family moves from England to Zimbabwe. You are muddli...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Yellowoasis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: carnegie-shortlist, 2011

So, the Carnegie shortlist is out! I'm sure it's something to do with the way the selection process has been changed, but I've read all but two of them.
1. Monsters of Men, Patrick Ness
2. The death defying Pepper Roux, Geraldine McCaughrean
3. White Crow, Marcus Sedgwick
4. The Bride's Farewell, Meg Rosoff
5. Prisoner of the Inquisition, Theresa Breslin
6. Out of Shadows, Jason Wallace

My rating so far in this order:
1. Monsters of Men
2. White Crow
3. The Bride's Farewell/Prisoner of the Inquisition
4. O...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Georgia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: school

This book wasn't good.

But it wasn't bad, either.

Yes, the story was confusing.
And the politics weren't explained.
The characters were annoying.
And you had no idea what race any of them were.

But it wasn't the worst book ever.
Which I was expecting it to be.
So that's good.

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May 23, 2011 Kristy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2011, teen-fiction, ya-fiction

This book has been nominated for the Carnegie Book Award and it's been a controversial choice because of the violence and language involved. I found it to be no more violent than many films and games aimed at teenagers. I won't be recommending it to 11 and 12 year olds but the things that make it controversial are likely to make it all the more appealing to teens. The subject matter is interesting and thought provoking. If nothing else most kids should be able to identify with the theme of peer...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Candy Wood added it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-ya

Although this is a school story, shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, it's not for children. The narrator, Robert, entering boarding school in Zimbabwe in 1983, is 13 at the beginning but looking back on the events from a present-day perspective, with an adult awareness which takes over when he visits the school, now closed, at the end. Coming from England, he hasn't experienced the war that led to Rhodesia becoming Zimbabwe: his father thinks Robert Mugabe a hero and supports the integration of...more

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