Land of the Long Grass

by M. Maxwell

After a Basutoland battle, young Harrison Clark has a prophetic encounter with a dying chief. Later, erroneously thinking he has killed the husband of the girl he loves, he flees his home and heads for the lands north of the Zambezi. After an exciting series of adventures with his friend Nwata, Harrison reaches the Zambezi where he becomes chief Changa-Changa and rules a vast area. He has a dangerous affair with Bonita, wife of the slaver Matakenya, but he also still loves the white missionary, Venetia. Although Harrison rids the country of the scourge of Matakenya and other slavers, his rule is finally ended when Cecil Rhodes usurps his claims. Torn between two cultures, Harrison is forced to choose between loyalty to his people and his love for Venetia.

500 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

[Katie-jo Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re read this book after almost a decade and it’s still as brilliant as I remembered.

I adore the way the stories intertwine and found the authors descriptions of Basutoland both captivating and terrifying.

Absolutely brilliant book

[Anamika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Land of the Long Grass is the story of Harrison Clark, his journey from being a normal human being to the leader of a tribe, nostalgia and love interspersed. A spectrum of characters meet him along the way in what ends up being a really gripping story for us readers, to comprehend.

Ms Maxwell has ensured that her characters have a mind of their own. Every single one of them has their own little role to play, be it Nwata or Venetia. I personally love the intricate layering of Venetia's character and how it works with Clark's to maintain a balance throughout the story.

What I disliked about it however, was the unheeded emotional tagging in certain parts of the book. Too many feelings well described led to me feeling of being weighed down, a couple of times during the course of the story.

All in all, it would be a great read for someone who likes thrilling, larger than life stories. I am amazed how this hasn't been adapted into a movie yet!