Customer Reviews

African Tears: The Zimbabwe Land Invasions

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One of the misconceptions that people who have not read this book apparently have is that the Buckle family is "reaping what it's sown" by having gotten their farm through illegitimate means (ie. colonialism). This is a very crass attitude grounded in both ignorance and racism.

In fact the Buckle family purchased their farm AFTER Zimbabwean independence with the explicit written promise from Mugabe's government that the land would not be targeted for redistribution. The real story here is how a demagogue like Mugabe, who manufactures racial hatred for his own political gain, can be so disrespectful of the very principles that he espoused to obtain power in the first place.

For those who think that the land reform issue is a simple matter of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, it may be quite a shock to learn that the only ones benefiting so far from newly acquired farmland are Mugabe's wealthy political cronies. Everyone else is on the verge of starvation due to the inevitable collapse of the economic infrastructure following the demise of the rule of law.

The rest of the world stood by and watched it happen. Perhaps someday we'll realize that it's far more humanitarian and cost-efficient to prevent famines before they occur.

Are, Read this Book! For almost two years, "veterans" of Zimbabwe's (formerly Rhodesia) civil war, many of them too young have actually fought in the war, have been invading farms and ranches, and intimidating, beating, and, in many cases, killing the lawful owners of those properties. Throughout this tortured land, these invaders have succeeded in driving out productive farmers, only to take over land that they themselves don't know how to farm. As a result, uncounted acres lie fallow, livestock are untended and dying, and thousands of farm workers have been thrown out of work. The police will do nothing to help the beleaguered farmers because these thefts are taking place with the approval of Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe. African Tears is the heartbreaking story of one woman's efforts to thwart the squatters who invaded her farm, destroyed her property, killed her livestock, and worst of all, tortured and beat her employees. For seven long months, Cathy Buckle made a valiant stand against this lawlessness, only to have to give up when her struggle became too dangerous. Her story is emblematic of what is taking place all across Zimbabwe. Everyone should read this book, so that when famine strikes this suffering nation and Mugabe appeals for international aid on behalf of his starving people, more people will be able to understand his role in their agonies.

Catherine Buckle's 'African Tears' is a memoir of the violent and bloody Zimbabwean land invasions of 2000. Her story is a tragic account of ignorant 'war veterans' turning her peaceful farm into a blackened garbage dump.

I have great sympathy for Buckle and the other white farmers who suffer like her. The complete destruction of a prosperous life's work is a personal tragedy that all readers will empathize with.

Buckle's story is mostly devoid of political commentary. She prefers to recount her own experiences during the invasions as a factual representation of Zimbabwe's dilemma. I couldn't help but notice that Buckle's persecutors, the so-called 'war veterans', most of them too young to be veterans at all, were conducting themselves much as they did 2 decades ago. The 'veterans' attack the small farming community and their hard working employees who cannot protect themselves - how brave!

'African Tears' is a noble account of a horrendous situation. I hope Catherine Buckle will choose to write again of the place she still calls her home.

Go to http://africantears.netfirms.com to get African tears and Beyond Tears - to understand what's going on in Zimbabwe, read her books or at least visit her web site.

A well written book that tells it like it is. Catherine's words provide us with vivid images of the terror and uncertainty that had been ever present in the lives of many Zimbabweans this past year and a half. Her story is the story of many, and it brings home to the rest of us the ultimate price that some people pay for their rights as citizens and as human beings.

Although not a professional writer and maybe because of it Cathy Buckle gives an insight to the tragedy that is befalling the normal person in Zimbabwe. Mainly due to her own direct involvment in this, is the point brought across that there is a major problem in Zimbabwe of racism. But not racism of whites on blacks as is normally always what is brought to the world's attention by the media. This is Shona racism against anyone who defies Robert Mugabe. And to those of you who apparently read this book, and reviewed it as trash and declined to leave your name, showing the courage of your convictions, I say to you can you actually read? Well done Cathy, a brillaint work done under what must have beem the most trying of circumstances.

African Tears is a harrowing story of bravery, human decency, and conviction in the face of overwhelming tyranny and cruelty. Ms. Buckle, regardless of her politics, was tormented, intimidated, and lived in fear for her life and that of her family. Her humanity and decency throughout this period is inspiring to behold and again, regardless of her politics, should give us all hope for the future.

Her greatest gift in writing this book, is to try and bring to the attention of the world, that this dictator, Mugabe, must be brought to the public's attention and must be stopped.

Read this book and take heart. There are still good people left in the world.

I've been to Zimbabwe and am planning a return trip next year; consequently, I've been searching for anything I can find to read about the former Rhodesia. There's not a lot available, frankly, though I was looking forward to reading Catherine Buckle's book on the recent farm invasions in rural Zimbabwe (invasions that got a little bit of press over here in Japan before vanishing from the news completely). I was a bit put off by the cover, however: a lurid drawing of an enormous sickle slicing open a bloody and red-rimmed Zimbabwe floating on a background of solid black, with a quote below: 'It's not over yet.' What isn't? Buckle's book?

The cover alerted me to the dodginess of what lay inside. A more appropriate title for this book would have been 'What Happened to ME When Zimbabwean War Veterans Invaded My Farm.' Buckle's claustrophobic (and poorly edited) writing quickly irritates: there is no balance, no dialogue, no depth, no background, and precious little information. The casual reader will learn very little about Zimbabwe from this book, but will come away with a lot of knowledge about Buckle herself, including a lot of sentimental stories about the lambs and bulls on her farm. Indeed, one learns more about her animals than about the workers she claims to care so much about. Furthermore, page after page is taken up with quotes from various emails, many written by Buckle herself, though there are almost as many written by supporters, who all say essentially the same thing: It's terrible what's happening on your farm, and our hearts are with you, and my, aren't you a good writer. Emails are one thing, and books are another. Or so I thought.

To take issue with Buckle's book is not to condone what was done to her and her family (who, like everybody in this book apart from Buckle herself, appear only briefly and who lack all substance) or to detract from the obvious pain and suffering endured by them (and by millions of others in a shattered country). In fact I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for Buckle and all those like her who have suffered under Mugabe's despotism. Nor do I agree with the reviewer above, who trots out the same tired, pat charge of white racism. What has happened in Zimbabwe needs to be told. I only wish a better writer than Catherine Buckle had tackled the job.

'African Tears' is a disappointing book that continually trips itself up. Far from being an overview of the land problems in Zimbabwe, it is the self-absorbed story of one victim that fails to throw any light over the country or its current implosion. A dedicated and persistent emailer doesn't necessarily make a good writer. I sympathize with the people of Zimbabwe and hope that, someday soon, for their sake as well as ours, a better informed and more talented writer will tell this story to the world.

As a member of the white race, I feel it is my duty to pontificate that much is to be said about our fight against tyrannical monstrosities like Mugabe, his many and various degrees notwithstanding. Such is reality. That persons of European descnedentations are superior, intellectually as well as in the careful & proper--and indeed expedient running of a nation--is now beyond any redemption of debate. Unanimous & self-explanatory as it stands the question must be asked: what is to done now. What duties shall we assignate to the many and various tired souls who stand at the brink of a once robust & thrivening nation's ruins laying bare before them? To answer such a question requires unimaginable heights of intellect, greater even than my own. Indeed, perhaps only an extra-terrestial (many of whom have vistited this little nation) would have the capacity for cognisance of the situation that has befallen Zimbabwe and its' peoples. In any case, three cheers for our beloved leader, the Honourable Ian Douglas Smith.

Like any sell out of their own, she now cries for protection. She has reaped what she and her kind sowed. 20 years ago, the forwarnings of this where well known, but people like Catherine denounced them as racist bigots, so such. Now, like the sell-out then and now reaping her eternal benifits of such, should now be allowed to stew in a sewer of her own making. Tough Luck kid, maybe next life you won't sell out.