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Angels In Hell
They changed her name and tormented her mind. But they couldn’t touch her heart.
Makaitei’s family joins a religious sect that practices polygamy and child marriages. She watches as her father joins in the deplorable act and her mother suffering in silence. Poverty does not leave the family, but suspicion, pain and death visits them. She is a keen observer of the events, keeping her distance for the sake of peace, until the hand that fears not reaches out to grab her too, and she has to make tough decisions about her life.
Angels In Hell is the third story in Shadows Darkness and Light, a collection of twelve short stories on women’s struggles set in Zimbabwe. Shadows, Darkness and Light gives a voice to the tumultuous emotions of unsung life heroes, ordinary women that must fight running battles with destiny: a woman finding a place in her heart for a child who is a product of rape, a girl living in the world of forced child marriages, a wife jailed for murder rebuilding the relations with her daughter, a mentally ill woman conquering rejection, a widow who realizes there is no comfort for the bereaved, a dying woman haunted by family arranged adultery, exploitation in the guise of religion and more.
And like Makaitei, they all have to dig deep within themselves to fight and come out victors in their misfortunes.
Angels In Hell is a short read at 8,000 words.
Makaitei’s family joins a religious sect that practices polygamy and child marriages. She watches as her father joins in the deplorable act and her mother suffering in silence. Poverty does not leave the family, but suspicion, pain and death visits them. She is a keen observer of the events, keeping her distance for the sake of peace, until the hand that fears not reaches out to grab her too, and she has to make tough decisions about her life.
Angels In Hell is the third story in Shadows Darkness and Light, a collection of twelve short stories on women’s struggles set in Zimbabwe. Shadows, Darkness and Light gives a voice to the tumultuous emotions of unsung life heroes, ordinary women that must fight running battles with destiny: a woman finding a place in her heart for a child who is a product of rape, a girl living in the world of forced child marriages, a wife jailed for murder rebuilding the relations with her daughter, a mentally ill woman conquering rejection, a widow who realizes there is no comfort for the bereaved, a dying woman haunted by family arranged adultery, exploitation in the guise of religion and more.
And like Makaitei, they all have to dig deep within themselves to fight and come out victors in their misfortunes.
Angels In Hell is a short read at 8,000 words.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 4, 2015
3 people want to read
About the author
P. Zoro
4 books72 followersP. Zoro is a busy mother of four boys absolutely fascinated by the continent of which she is a citizen -Africa. P. writes contemporary fiction in short story form. She also writes children's books and fantasy set in Africa.
Zoro loves exploration, discovery and art in its various forms.
Zoro loves exploration, discovery and art in its various forms.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 5, 2016
Despite this being only 8,000 words, the author manages to fit a great deal of information and emotion into these few pages. To a westerner born with choice and equality, it is a shocking contrast. The horror of a fourteen-year-old child being told to 'play' with her new 'forced' stepmother, who is younger than her, and having to watch and hear her go through a birth without medical assistance, only to die die days later is horrific in its obvious reality. There is a definite slant towards women and against men in this tale, slavery is mentioned, but also the horrors of oppression and abuse perpetrated by religion is also a major theme.
This short is mostly the inner thoughts, fears and hopes of the young protagonist, coupled with dialogue from older people, but I would have liked a little more description of the world depicted. I've never been to Zimbabwe, and this piece could had given me more of a flavour of the place.
This short is mostly the inner thoughts, fears and hopes of the young protagonist, coupled with dialogue from older people, but I would have liked a little more description of the world depicted. I've never been to Zimbabwe, and this piece could had given me more of a flavour of the place.
August 14, 2016
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a wonderful short story. I enjoyed reading it. There were a few errors that threw me off, but the story itself was quite well done. I really liked Makaitei, and found her to be a strong, brave character who was truly heroic. I love stories with strong female role models who stand up for themselves; who actually make things happen and move the story forward. And this is such a story. I liked the ending. I could see another story following it!
This was a wonderful short story. I enjoyed reading it. There were a few errors that threw me off, but the story itself was quite well done. I really liked Makaitei, and found her to be a strong, brave character who was truly heroic. I love stories with strong female role models who stand up for themselves; who actually make things happen and move the story forward. And this is such a story. I liked the ending. I could see another story following it!
December 22, 2015
Zoro's story grabs the reader by the gut and doesn't let go. Picture a place in Africa where young girls are given illegally in marriage without their consent, only to spend their lives working in fields to support their husbands. Makaitei's father sees nothing wrong about it, and her mother dares not to complain. In so hopeless a situation, Makaitei seeks a way out. And the reader is pulling for her. The story is all the more poignant for its reality.
August 16, 2016
This is a truly powerful account of a young woman’s experience growing up powerless and female in a male-dominated community. The helplessness Makaitei feels permeates the pages, as she mourns her inability to help her mother, her younger sisters and the other young girls in her community. The reader feels the weight of her impotence as she bears witness to the callous disregard the men of her community show the women and girls. As Makaitei struggles to stay strong in the face of hardship and devastating inequity, the reader is given an inside view of what it is like to live without a voice, to endure without the power to change. Ultimately, this story, undoubtedly like the others in this collection, is like a primal scream. It is the cry of every woman and every girl whose choices have been taken from them and whose lives have been directed by external, male forces. Without a doubt, this is one of the most riveting and powerful stories I’ve read in quite some time.
August 18, 2016
This is such a compelling and tragic story. Immediately upon finishing reading I was left feeling quite angry. Not at the author or the story, it is after all a work of fiction. My issue however is that I don’t doubt for a second that the events within happen on an all too regular basis and that makes me angry. The pace is good and the writing style lends itself very well to this sort of story. All in it’s a very good story that is well worth reading and really highlights the lengths people will go to to keep hold of power.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2016
There are no winners here. We follow a girl (Makaitei) in an impoverished part of Zimbabwe as her family life falls apart. Abandoning Christianity because it has done nothing to improve their quality of life, Dad forces the family to partake in the local pagan customs. This results in Dad marrying a second wife, which emotionally devastates Mom.
A standout moment revealing how warped the situation is occurs when Dad encourages Makaitei to play with her new thirteen-year-old mom. Since the two girls are similar in age they should therefore get along.
One of the things I most admire about this story is the poetic nature of the writing. Maybe it’s a tad too elegant given it comes from a young teen’s perspective, a girl whose time at school is limited because chores take priority over education, but it works. Minus the rare hiccup, the style is gentle and minimal and a nice counterpoint to the ugliness depicted.
Through Makaitei’s eyes we see a heartbreaking and nightmarish world. We observe the frightening and unique customs that define her oppressive and patriarchal society. I suppose if I have a main criticism, it’s that this is a majority of what we do: bear witness. Until the end, Makaitei has very little agency. I can still recommend the story because it’s a captivating world into which we’ve been thrust, and this is an extremely quick read, but our protagonist doesn’t leap to action until the final pages. And then it’s over. Also, Makaitei seems aware early on of the hypocrisy of the spiritual leaders, so while I enjoy how our narrator exposes the dark side of the local church and the way its corruption goes unchallenged, sometimes she appears surprised by details she already knew. But to counter these criticisms, this is a young girl struggling to realign the contradictions of what she’s witnessing with what she’s been taught. A girl who wants to do right by her family, trapped in a grim environment with very little options before her. So given the circumstances, Makaitei is already plenty heroic just for surviving and caring for her loved ones.
A standout moment revealing how warped the situation is occurs when Dad encourages Makaitei to play with her new thirteen-year-old mom. Since the two girls are similar in age they should therefore get along.
One of the things I most admire about this story is the poetic nature of the writing. Maybe it’s a tad too elegant given it comes from a young teen’s perspective, a girl whose time at school is limited because chores take priority over education, but it works. Minus the rare hiccup, the style is gentle and minimal and a nice counterpoint to the ugliness depicted.
Through Makaitei’s eyes we see a heartbreaking and nightmarish world. We observe the frightening and unique customs that define her oppressive and patriarchal society. I suppose if I have a main criticism, it’s that this is a majority of what we do: bear witness. Until the end, Makaitei has very little agency. I can still recommend the story because it’s a captivating world into which we’ve been thrust, and this is an extremely quick read, but our protagonist doesn’t leap to action until the final pages. And then it’s over. Also, Makaitei seems aware early on of the hypocrisy of the spiritual leaders, so while I enjoy how our narrator exposes the dark side of the local church and the way its corruption goes unchallenged, sometimes she appears surprised by details she already knew. But to counter these criticisms, this is a young girl struggling to realign the contradictions of what she’s witnessing with what she’s been taught. A girl who wants to do right by her family, trapped in a grim environment with very little options before her. So given the circumstances, Makaitei is already plenty heroic just for surviving and caring for her loved ones.
December 4, 2016
Reviewed by: Annie Arcane
Actual rating: 4 stars
A free copy was provided by the author.
Initial thoughts:
Authentic. Believable. Compelling.
What I loved:
There was an incredible amount of content and emotion packed into only 8,000 words! The writing style was raw, unfiltered, almost like a first-hand account of the events. It felt as if the author's personal story was simply labeled as fiction. And I loved, loved, loved this!
I learned so much about a culture/society that is vastly disparate from my own and thoroughly appreciated this insight. I also adored the ending. Perfect combination of hope, fear, and the unknown.
What left me wanting:
As a Canadian (born and raised), I was hoping for just a little bit more background about Zimbabwe so I could become even more immersed in Makaitei's world. A part of me wanted to step right into her shoes and "experience" the story vs. watching as a bystander because it was that compelling.
Final thoughts:
Quick, heart-wrenching read that I would recommend to romance readers, as well as anyone who is open to learning about a different culture/society. Beautiful read!
Actual rating: 4 stars
A free copy was provided by the author.
Initial thoughts:
Authentic. Believable. Compelling.
What I loved:
There was an incredible amount of content and emotion packed into only 8,000 words! The writing style was raw, unfiltered, almost like a first-hand account of the events. It felt as if the author's personal story was simply labeled as fiction. And I loved, loved, loved this!
I learned so much about a culture/society that is vastly disparate from my own and thoroughly appreciated this insight. I also adored the ending. Perfect combination of hope, fear, and the unknown.
What left me wanting:
As a Canadian (born and raised), I was hoping for just a little bit more background about Zimbabwe so I could become even more immersed in Makaitei's world. A part of me wanted to step right into her shoes and "experience" the story vs. watching as a bystander because it was that compelling.
Final thoughts:
Quick, heart-wrenching read that I would recommend to romance readers, as well as anyone who is open to learning about a different culture/society. Beautiful read!
August 21, 2016
Angels In Hell, by P. Zoro, is the third short story in a series of stories twelves tales titled: Shadows, Darkness & Light. It is the story of Makaitei, a young girl growing up in a small African village where a male-dominated religion determines every facet of life. When her father marries a second wife -- who is very close to Makaitei's own age -- she is hurt, angry and begins to form a plan to leave. The power in this story lies in Makaitei's spirit and sacrifice. Ultimately, she must leave her family behind in order to live a life where she is free to choose, free to speak and act of her own accord. It is a powerful story of courage, told through the voice of a brave young woman.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.
*I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2016
I admired the guts and strength of Makaitei who was faced with such a seemingly hopeless situation and a daunting future as a wife of man she could never possibly love. Despite not just going against her tribe and community I admired her resolve to make an independent move for herself even though she knew that her parents would suffer as a result. Weaker souls would have gone with tradition and what they were being ordered to do by their elders and most especially by her own parents but Makaitei holds strong and gives not just herself a chance but all those young women who follow along behind her.
December 17, 2015
This felt like a story that the author needed to tell. It actually read a lot like a first-hand account - raw and without the polish of edited fiction. I had a lot of sympathy for the main character, a real person surrounded by one-dimensional stereotypes.
I'm sure the piece would bring weight to an anthology dealing with the lives of similar people.
I'm sure the piece would bring weight to an anthology dealing with the lives of similar people.
November 26, 2016
An amazing story that highlights the plight of women in Zimbabwe controlled by their religious systems and culture.
Very powerful with very moving and harrowing events. You can almost feel the oppressive nature of that lifestyle.
This story is not for the fainthearted in my opinion but it needs to be told and is a good read.
Very powerful with very moving and harrowing events. You can almost feel the oppressive nature of that lifestyle.
This story is not for the fainthearted in my opinion but it needs to be told and is a good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews