Hope Is Our Only Wing

July 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Shamiso Muloy was recently transferred to a boarding school in Zimbabwe. Shamiso and her mother were forced to relocate to Zimbabwe after her father, an investigative journalist, dies in a car accident. While her parents are both from Zimbabwe, Shamiso was raised almost exclusively in London, which makes learning a new culture hard. She arrives in Zimbabwe during a time of political and social unrest. Zimbabwe's unstable infrastructure and the machinations of corrupt politicians have led to teacher strikes, rolling blackouts, and queues for basic commodities. At school Shamiso is ostracized by the other students and teachers because of her accent and mannerisms, and Shamiso withdraws even further into herself, with only her father's stories and a few of his mementos to comfort her. Tanyaradzwa, another student at the boarding school, is the only student brave enough to befriend Shamiso. Through this unlikely friendship, Shamiso tries to make sense of her father's death, while also attempting to support Tanyaradzwa in her own health concerns. This is a nuanced view of a very turbulent time in Zimbabwe's history. The economic and social turmoil experienced by everyday Zimbabweans is juxtaposed with the plight of the children growing up in this system. VERDICT Tavengerwei creates dynamic characters who will resonate with readers across the globe. This title is a good fit for public and school libraries interested in showcasing fiction from countries outside of the United States.-Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 Shamiso begins her days at a boarding school in Zimbabwe with a heavy heart. Her father has just died, plunging Shamiso and her mother into not only grief but terrible poverty. The school itself is barely staffed, since most teachers are on strike. Only one girl, Tanyaradzwa, reaches out in friendship. But Tanyaradzwa has her own struggles with cancer, exacerbated by a health care program that is increasingly restrictive about paying for medical services. The book moves back and forth between the stories of the two girls as they themselves inch toward friendship. There is a lot of potential in the realistic portrayal of life so distant from that of most American readers. Shamiso's father was a journalist, and there is some mystery surrounding the circumstances of his death. But the intrigue is diluted by a narrative style that just lightly sketches plot details, making for a quick but sometimes confusing read. Nevertheless, readers may find themselves emotionally drawn to Shamiso and Tanyaradzwa, and the author's perspective lends striking insight into another culture.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Following the tragic and mysterious death of her journalist father while on an investigative trip to the family's homeland of Zimbabwe, 15-year-old Shamiso and her mother leave England. Returning to the country she left at age 5 is disorienting for Shamiso--she doesn't even remember her paternal grandmother. She unsuccessfully tries to keep her grief and anger under wraps, bound up in resentment over being in this place that is now home. At her new boarding school, Shamiso initially seeks to keep to herself, but Tanyaradzwa, another student, who has her own reasons for deep sadness, extends an offer of friendship that Shamiso initially rebuffs, although later the girls become close companions. Inspired by actual events from 2008 Zimbabwe, debut author Tavengerwei masterfully knits together a literary quilt with prose that evokes heartbreaking and hopeful truths. Mainly portraying events from a teenager's perspective, readers also learn about the political and economic downfall of a once prosperous country. Filled with tales of struggle, sacrifice, corruption, and resilience, the novel showcases a cast of characters whose formidable spirits in the face of life-threatening crises take readers on a roller-coaster ride of emotions via a gripping page-turner. A narrative of courage and optimism in the face of loss, this novel is brilliant storytelling. (glossary) (Fiction. 14-adult)

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