THE HORNS: ZAMBEZI TRILOGY: BOOK ONE

by Jill Baker

"IT REMINDED ME OF THE ENGLISH PATIENT- in the very defined and rich personalities of the lead characters, that are at the same time very different and very complementary. The central decades-lasting friendship between the four central characters, develops amidst real historical events. It is indeed a rare gem". (Taleflick assessment).New edition September 2020. Book 1840-1965 A deeply personal account of being born into what was first Southern Rhodesia, then Rhodesia. Jill Baker grew up as a white girl whose best playmates, until she went to school, were three amaNdebele boys. The paths each of their lives took could not have been more divergent. THE HORNS is founded on careful historical research into valuable, but scarce, generational Matebele and Mashona oral histories; vastly differing and biased accounts from early missionaries, pioneers, hunters, miners and traders; and records from government and parliamentary archives as well as the British South Africa Company. The historical skeleton holds this story firmly in place. The Horns is presented as storytelling - oral storytelling - as practised in the passing on of oral history in African culture, sometimes indulging in the nostalgic prose of cherished memories, sometimes in the practical narration of the observations of young children making mud cattle, the terror of a teenager in acute distress, or the wise words of experience and learning from an older "What I have heard you say tonight is reconciliation for our hurting nation." was the comment from an African member of the Harare Rotary Club in Johannesburg.Sharon Maphosa "I’m eager for more informative stories from you gogo, you are truly making waves in the minds of all Africans, thank you so much"READER Georgie The book ends abruptly in a farm store, some six months after Rhodesia issues its unilateral declaration of independence from the United kingdom. I know - and I don’t know - what comes next. Already I feel a raw frustration mixed with dread ... but I want to read on and I hope many others will get the chance to do so too. These stories are part of our history and THE HORNS is a rare chance to see many viewpoints brought together. Thanks to Jill Baker for setting them down”. Kennedy "You have a gift of writing and telling the stories. I have learned a lot after reading your book. You might as well think of turning the book into a movie!" "The sadness of Zimbabwe. If you love Africa you must read this - beautifully written from personal experience and historically accurate. The author was born and grew up in Southern Rhodesia with a keen eye for the nuances of the time - thorough research revealing such facts as Cecil Rhodes was a mentor to the Africans and they wanted to work for him I look forward to books 2 and 3" Martin McGhee ”The Horns is up there with some of the best books on Africa I have read in many years. Eat your heart out Wilbur and you, Mr Ruark, look to your bushlore laurels”. Heather Cape I am so enjoying your book. Devouring it! Never felt it in my bones before - the zhiii of the spears must have been terrifying.MEDIA Knysna and Plett Herald : "Author Jill Baker is currently in South Africa to promote her book the Horns, book one of the Zambezi Trilogy. Baker has conducted meticulous research, scanning original diary entries from the likes of Cecil John Rhodes, gold diggers, and government archival documents. These vignettes make the book come alive. You will laugh out loud, pull out your hair in utter despair and learn a lot. A must read. News 24 - Mthulisi Ncube Jill Baker's book, The "ZAPU leader Dr Dumiso Dabengwa launched The HORNS through his Foundation at the Bulawayo Theatre. A must read book for Mthwakazi. Spread the message about this book!" Only problem is . . . "where's Book 2?"

413 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2018

Reviews

[Sareh Micheal · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am going to be honest and say i almost did not pick this up because i was not sure i knew enough about rhodesia and zimbabwe to follow it properly. that concern disappeared within the first few pages and never came back.
jill baker writes about this place and this history the way only someone who actually lived it can write about it. there is a texture to everything the landscape, the relationships, the way people spoke and thought and moved through a world that was already quietly breaking along lines most of them could not yet see that no amount of research alone could produce. this comes from somewhere real and you feel that on every page.
the four children at the heart of the story are what make it work so completely. carol, jabulani, prune and themba growing up together and then watching the world pull them in completely different directions that is not just a story about rhodesia. that is a story about how the circumstances of birth determine everything in a world built on inequality and it is told without ever feeling like a lecture because baker trusts the story to do the work.
the oral storytelling style took me a few chapters to settle into and then i loved it. it feels like being told something rather than just reading something and that quality makes the historical sections feel alive rather than academic.
the parts about the matebele and mashona history genuinely taught me things i did not know and i consider myself reasonably well read on african history. that is not a small thing.
i cried twice. once early on and once near the end. both times completely earned.
one of the most important books i have read this year. already looking for book two.