A little girl from Africa

This is the story of my life that will be published soon. It is set in Zimbabwe where I was born. In this book I talk about growing up in the 1960s through to the 1980s, in a country torn by civil strife. I talk about the challenges of growing up in a society that was deteriorating both physically and socially due to the ravages of a war and due to global influences.

During that period, I (as part of a group) attended many vigils (pungwes) where the wartime message was spread. Some of my peers were persuaded to travel gruelling journeys to neighbouring countries to join the liberation struggle. Some joined and fell by the wayside and some returned, traumatised by the realities of a bush war. I lost a close family member. That left me devastated. That aside, the other negative effects of the war, coupled with societal problems of the time left a mark on me.. My book narrates all those unforgettable experiences.

This is a captivating story about growing up as an African girl. The story gives a fresh perspective into the African way of life then and now. I question the relevance of 'some' lingering African customs as well as beliefs and norms to today's society. At the same time I question whether 'modern lifestyles' are the way to go. By modern lifestyles, I am referring to today's complicated lifestyles.

This is a real life story soon to be in a good book store near you. The book will be published by AuthorHouse and the title is still under review. The book might come under a different label but the message remains the same.

I hope you will enjoy reading this story! On another note, another GRIPPING story by a notable female writer, Betty Makoni, is out, called 'Never Again - not to any woman and girl again'. I thought mine was 'the story' but wait till you READ this one.

Ruth xx

FORTHCOMING: A SHORT STORY

FORTHCOMING: A SHORT STORY
In this short story,  a girl called Rosey is born in a family of eleven children. It was not an easy life, with her parents failing to fend for such a large family. The family is also dysfunctional. Her parents Estery and Mukay believe in a large family, but they are unable to provide for it, financially. Mukay boasts of his prowess in bed and fathers children elsewhere with an underage school girl, Maka. Maka becomes Mukay's second wife but younger wives tend to have a lot of demands. Maka is very close to Jakob, Mukay's eldest son. In Mukay's absence, Maka entertains Jakob a lot. One day Maka leaves behind her husband and the two children. She confesses that one of the children is not her husband's. Whose child is it?

At school, Rosey has a beautiful friend Ketie who comes from an affluent background. Ketie's parents afford boarding fees for her to at the same school. The two girls keep a close friendship despite their different backgrounds. Something happens to Rosey on her long journey from school. Rosey travels through scary forests to get to school everyday. At the same time Ketie seems to get special favours from Mr Mamba, one of the primary school teachers, but why? From being a bubbly girl, Ketie becomes reserved. One day school kids who attend St Faith's Mission stumble upon a man's naked body. Later the body is identified as Mr Mamba's. Two men are accused of the teacher's murder, but what is the motive behind? At the men's trial, the truth comes out.  In the meantime, Ketie falls ill for a prolonged period of time, but recovers later. In the end the two friends, Rosie and Ketie get some sponsorship to further their education and fulfil their lifelong dreams. Their dream is to fight society's injustices, past and present ......