House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-Torn Zimbabwe (Hardcover)

by Christina Lamb (Author)
Key Phrases: farm invasions, war vets, mealie meal, South Africa, Ian Smith, Prince Edward (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Two very different lives run in parallel in award-winning British journalist Lamb's riveting account of Zimbabwe's brutal civil war in the 1970s, the elation of becoming the last British colony in Africa to win independence [in 1980]... and then the descent into madness. By alternating chapters from the perspectives of Aqui Shamvi, a poor black woman, and Nigel Hough, a wealthy white man, Lamb (The Africa House) brings both the personal and the political home to the reader. Her level tone and everyday language make the dramatic story all the more compelling. Though Aqui and Nigel are linked for a few years by her employment as his children's nanny, their lives mostly move along very separate paths as black Africans are dispossessed by the colonialist Land Acts, urban black quarters are demolished under President Robert Mugabe's orders and violent squatters occupy white-owned land. Lamb's indictment of Mugabe and his African enforcers and European enablers is complete; however, she achieves remarkable balance and demonstrates an extraordinary capacity to take the reader into the racism- and colonialism-torn worlds of two decent people, neither at home in their native land. (Sept.)
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From Booklist
*Starred Review* Through the parallel accounts of two people in Zimbabwe, one a poor black maid, one a rich white farmer, British journalist Lamb tells the compelling story of a country ravaged first by colonial settlers and now by brutal civil war. There is no simplistic rhetoric. Aqui's dream is to become a nurse, but at 14 she must give up school, and she eventually ends up as nanny to farmer Nigel and his family on their 4,000-acre farm, where black war vets are now camped and threatening to grab the land. Based on interviews with Aqui and Nigel over many years, including 12 undercover trips since 2002, Lamb recounts the country's recent history from both sides, as it has never been told. Nigel remembers his schooldays, ashamed of his racism: "We were little kings. . . . We didn't think they had a culture." Aqui remembers the hut tax that meant losing the men to work in the mines and on the farms of strangers. Now she is lucky to have a job, and Nigel pays for her kids to go to school. He is sorry he cannot go on vacation or buy jewels for his wife. Behind today's politics—President Mugabe's wildly repressive regime, what the UN describes as a country in meltdown—the anguished personal detail, true to the changing viewpoints, makes for a gripping read. Rochman, Hazel

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556527357
• ISBN-13: 978-1556527357
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #703,616 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #47 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Law > Administrative Law > Land Use
  #48 in	Books > Nonfiction > Law > Administrative Law > Land Use
  #56 in	Books > History > Africa > Zimbabwe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great view of the current situation , August 13, 2007

By	James Chaplin (Gainesville, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great view of the current situation of people's personal experiences. I pre-ordered the book and could not put it down once I received it. Very well written and easy to understand even if it is the first book you read on southern Africa and its people. It is also a sad story, but information is important and reflect's on Mrs. Lamb's skill as a journalist.

My only hope is that Mrs. Lamb has a follow up in a few years as events continue to unfold in Zimbabwe each day.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of Zimbabwe, September 25, 2007

By	Gillian A (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

For anyone wanting to read a clear, concise and elegantly written account of the story of Zimbabwe, this book must not be overlooked. Christina Lamb is a British jounalist who brings us this dramatic account of the country, as seen through the eyes of a typical white Rhodesian/Zimbabwean farmer, who finally loses his farm, and an equally typical, black Zimbabwean woman, who ends up working for his family. The book is a riveting page-turner with a surprising ending. I highly recommend it.

(Just after reading the book, I happened to visit this tragic country, which was once truly one of the jewels of Africa and is now a place of so much dispair. House of Stone made it all the more meaningfull for me.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars House of Stone, October 27, 2007

By	Bridget Cerny (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I enjoyed reading the Rhodesian story from both the black and white african perspective. I thought this was a well written book from beginning to end. As a white ex-Rhodesian, I find the story terribly sad and look at what has happened to this beautiful country a crime to both black and white africans. Mugabe has a lot to answer for and will go down in history as one of Africa's great criminals together with Idi Amin. It's a shame someone hasn't had the courage to make him disappear.