Customer Reviews

Through the Darkness: A Life in Zimbabwe

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a New Zealander who lived/worked in Rhodesia for many years and left as the 'war' began. Judith Garfield Todd fills in all the blanks from that period to 2006 with clarity; sharing the brutality of a country torn apart by the despot - Mugabe. Judith gives us the verbatim eulogy for her Mother and Father matter-of-factly, but being delivered by native Zimbabwean was deeply moving. The breath of fresh air, sanity, and dignity of her treatment by the NZ authorities was very gratifying. Recommended for anyone wanting to learn about the rise and fall of this Central African Country which used to be referred to as the food-basket of Africa. I enjoyed it through the tears. Jack.

I picked up this book since it was recommended in the Economimst.

As noted elsewhere, reading the book is very slow going, due to the large number of characters and organizations mentioned - is difficult to keep track of them all.

However, it is a first hand look at was going on in Zimbabwe, and there are plenty of harrowing and gripping portions of the book, but is not a particularly cohesive narrative.

In any case, it struck me as a rather dry narrative, difficult to read but with some fascinating first hand accounts of life in Zimbabwe.

Do we honestly need another book published that should have remained someone's personal diary? This is not a great book. What would have been interesting, however, is an exploration of why there was a lack of a vocal white liberal class during Rhodesia's history and how Todds played a key role to develop one. A broader examination of this constituency from Todd's perspective probably would have made for a better work.

Judith Todd's account of Zimbabwe's tragic post-colonial turmoil and the lawless rule of Robert Mugabe is a thorough, on-the-ground examination of the Zimbabwean nationalist movement and the many competing interests of the independence era. The subject matter is fascinating and Todd, as the director of the Zimbabwe Project Trust and the daughter of Mugabe-appointed senator Sir Garfield Todd, has impeccable credentials as both a political insider and a witness to the corruption and cruelty of the period.

Her storytelling, however, suffers from the bloated style of one whose intimate involvement in the events portrayed deprives her of the discerning ability to leave out distracting details. By giving nearly equal narrative weight to both major and obscure characters and events, she sometimes drops the thread of her otherwise profound account of Zimbabwe's political and human tragedy in the minutiae of ordinary activities.

Despite these shortcomings, those with a thirst for the nitty-gritty, a background in Zimbabwean politics, or a deep interest in case studies of post-colonial Africa will surely be satisfied. Todd rewards her committed readers with an intimate, moving history of the long-standing struggles of Zimbabwean citizens as they face the betrayal of their leaders.

Particularly refreshing is her unsentimental approach to the history; her love for Zimbabwe and its people is all the more palpable for her complete lack of reliance on the romantic clichés that have become a staple of the genre of white African memoirs. For those with the desire to pierce through the opacity of the text, Todd's up-close examination of Zimbabwe's Mugabe era offers startling insights and intelligent observations, with lessons that transcend the particularity of time and place.

I ordered this book on 9/21 and thought that since it was a local shipper, I would have it within 2 weeks. Still waiting...

I came away with a profound sense of admiration for Judith Todd and her brave, painstaking record of Zimbabwe's troubles. The book is a tribute to the courageous people, who endured terrible hardship, cruelty and who died as a result, but just as importantly, it names and records the deeds of the perpetrators who victimised, betrayed and conspired against anyone who threatened their power, or simply got in the way. Judith Todd's style may seem understated, contained and perhaps lacking the energy to keep the reader engaged throughout the book, but there is no mistaking her passion and love for her country - and to share her grief at the losses she chronicles so well. I think this book is an important documentation of the times, and an honest personal account from a citizen of Zimbabwe with pretty damn good credentials. As the Zimbabwe elections loom near, I am sorry Judith Todd does not appear to have a blog - it would be interesting to read her view of the daily reports we are getting from the media.

I saw Judith on BBC and she spoke about her life in Zimbabwe. She was great and told her story well. Hearing this interview, I bought this book and I have to say I am very, very disappointed. This book is so badly written, absolutely boring and totally confusing. It is a confusing listing of events out of her life not even connected by a story. After a while you can figure out that she is trying to go by a time line, but that didn't work out well. On almost every page Judith throws out every name she must have come across during her life in Zimbabwe. People who have no relevance in the story, friends,.... anybody. And often she does not even give a reason why she mentions them. This book is more a personal diary than a book for readers. This book does not help anyone to understand what was going on during that time as it is only about herself and her family, which was not a "regular" family anyway. I started reading this book about 4 weeks ago and I have reached page 70. I just can't get myself to continue reading it, that's how bad it is. I had to force myself to read every page so far.
If you have never heard of Zimbabwe and its history, if you are not familiar with what happened there, then this book is a total waste of money and it won't help you either. I am only able to put one and one together because I have read another book about the same subject. To everyone who wants to read a great book, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! It's a total waste of money, guaranteed!!!!!
If you are looking for a fantastic book about the history of Zimbabwe, the life of the black & white people during the time when it was still Rhodesia, the fall of it and the rise of Mugabe, then buy the book House of Stone. I could not stop reading this book, I was addicted to it. This book is written from the the view of both, black & white people. But don't waste your money on Judith's book!!!!! If I could give this book "0" stars, then I would do that!!!!