Tale of Tamari

Tamari is fourteen. Her parents have died and she lives with her brother, Kuda, in their home where the rooms have been let to lodgers. Her Uncle Banda supposedly keeps an eye on them, but is more concerned about how much money he can make from the tenants. Shimmer Chinodya is a wonderful storyteller. The characters come vividly to life as Tamara grows up and has to contend with the school bullies and the onset of puberty. This is a story which delights us with its freshness and empathy, besides providing a glimpse of a richly varied slice of life in Zimbabwe today, as orphans make their way into a future.