"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 |
| Other Genres: |
‘Wars never end, they just change location.’
An exceptional, thought-provoking YA novel about sisterhood, trauma and the fighting spirit of women, from Zimbabwean author, Blessing Musariri.
When her Mama drops a bombshell, Chiante's world shatters. In Zimbabwe, bloodlines matter, so when Chiante discovers her Baba is not the man she thought he was, she flees.
Seeking refuge in a secluded corner of Mutare with her feisty, stylish grandmother, Chiante finds solace in a sisterhood forged by bonds of war. This close-knit community of elders and ex-combatants are living their best lives: singing, dancing, drinking and running a successful fashion-upcycling business. But at the heart of their carefully-built world are secrets no one can give voice to.
As Chiante pieces together the puzzle of her family’s past, she wrestles with how sorrow seeps down the generations, and how hope survives all, obliging us to step up and live life to the full.
When It's Your Turn For Midnight features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Family Drama, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Families and family members
When It's Your Turn For Midnight is available in Hardback, Paperback
When It's Your Turn For Midnight was written by Blessing Musariri and published by Zephyr
When It's Your Turn For Midnight has 181 pages
£8.09
-131x200.jpg)
