"Fresh, thought-provoking and dancing with the indomitable fire of the female spirit, this Zimbabwe-set novel is an unforgettable joy."
Having adored Blessing Musariri’s YA debut, All That It Ever Meant, I had very high hopes for When It’s Your Turn for Midnight — hopes that were more than met by a beautiful, powerful, empowering story of sisterhood, and escaping generational trauma and the legacies of war.
“When I’m angry my words are lava and they even burn me”. So shares fifteen-year-old Chiante near the start of this remarkable novel, when she flees her family home in Harare and finds refuge with her feisty, fashionable grandmother, Ambuya Precious, after discovering a devastating truth about her father.
At first, Ambuya’s remote community in Mutare “feels like another country” to Chiante. From this secluded spot, Ambuya and her larger-than-life companions manage a very successful fashion-upcycling operation. But beneath their outward energy and joy, this unusual, remarkable clan of women are bound by war, and the enduring legacy of conflict — “Wars never end, they just change location”.
Simmering with secrets, When It’s Your Turn for Midnight blazes with survival, solidarity and the glory of strong-minded grandmothers as it also radiates courage, recovery and hope.
Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
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