Harvest of Thorns tells the powerful story of Benjamin, a young soldier returned from the frontlines of the Zimbabwe Civil War, forced to ask himself what it means to be free in the new Zimbabwe.Isolated and troubled at boarding school, Benjamin is fascinated by the idea of fighting for the liberation of Rhodesia and transforming it into an independent nation. But upon returning home from the war, he quickly discovers that independence has come at a great cost and that little has changed in his small town. While facing the realities of post-revolution life, Benjamin tries to find happiness in a desperate situation.Shimmer Chinodya unravels the extraordinary story of Zimbabwe's liberation through masterful storytelling, exploring the profound effects liberation had on society as well as at the level of the individual.'Remarkable.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'A brutal, honest account of the freedom fighter's struggle for independence in Zimbabwe.' Guardian'A humane and penetrating look at a brutal government and a bloody revolution.' Publishers Weekly

A tender, evocative portrait of a boy’s journey to adulthood in 1960s rural Zimbabwe, written by acclaimed author Shimmer Chinodya.Following a young boy, Godi, as he navigates the complexities of childhood, family, and tradition, Dew in the Morning captures the rhythms and hardships of village life, revealing the deep-rooted connections between land, identity, and memory in Zimbabwe’s national consciousness, and lays the thematic groundwork for Chinodya’s later works.PRAISE FOR SHIMMER CHINODYA:'Remarkable.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'A brutal, honest account of the freedom fighter's struggle for independence in Zimbabwe.' Guardian'A humane and penetrating look at a brutal government and a bloody revolution.' Publishers WeeklyDiscover more from the APOLLO AFRICA series: the new home for 100 timeless works from the legendary Heinemann African Writers Series.

Strife is a rich and densely written novel that provides a dark expos? of the tension between modernity and tradition, and deep insights into culture in Zimbabwe in the 21st century. Chinodya explores the powerful draw that conflicting ideologies exercise over an emerging middle-class that at once yearns for autonomy and unconsciously desires the irresponsibility of an all-pervading destiny. Tracing the Gwanagara?s roots back over a century, Chinodya interweaves past and the present, juxtaposing incidents never forgotten or resolved, revealing how memory becomes an actor in lived time. A large family grows up in Gweru. Their father aspires to be an enlightened Christian man; he sees his children through school and college where they do well. But as adults, they are struck by illness. Who is to blame? Who is to cure these ailments? What wrongs have they committed to offend the ancestors? How can atonement be made? Can education, science and medicine provide any solution? Their mother, the moon huntress, seeks out the answers and the cures in traditional beliefs and customs.

In this new collection, Chioniso and other stories, we are once again reminded how Shimmer Chinodya mines his experience for nuggets. Playing with his doppelganger, Godfrey, he looks back on life in Harare, and in Zimbabwe, over the last decade, exploring it from a familial perspective. How does a father cope with a rebellious daughter or a wife he perceives as wayward? How does one mediate traditional gender roles? What to do when status in the form of a car undermines the stability of a marriage? How does one manage a friendship with a new farmer? What moral compromises are demanded by new wealth and political cronyism? And what is the effect of religion on our lives? Have we become more caring and compassionate, or does piety provide a mask, to disguise greed and ambition, and justify a contempt for the poor? This collection of stories will make you laugh, but it will also challenge you to reconsider what it means to be Zimbabwean in the 21st century.

The 1990 Commonwealth Writers Regional Prize voted Harvest of Thorns the winner in the Best Book category. Harvest of Thorns tells the story of Benjamin Tichafa who grows up in Rhodesia in the 1960s. From a conservative, religious family, but exposed to the heady ideas of the black nationalist movements, the young student is pulled in different directions. Isolated and troubled at boarding school, he is provoked into leaving, making his way to Mozambique, and joining the freedom fighters. There, in the crucible of a bitter civil war of liberation, the young man develops into manhood. Returning, hardened, at independence, he feels that little has changed, not least within his own family circumstances, and asks himself what it means to be free in the new Zimbabwe.

Harvest of Thorns tells the powerful story of Benjamin, a young soldier returned from the frontlines of the Zimbabwe Civil War, forced to ask himself what it means to be free in the new Zimbabwe.Isolated and troubled at boarding school, Benjamin is fascinated by the idea of fighting for the liberation of Rhodesia and transforming it into an independent nation. But upon returning home from the war, he quickly discovers that independence has come at a great cost and that little has changed in his small town. While facing the realities of post-revolution life, Benjamin tries to find happiness in a desperate situation.Shimmer Chinodya unravels the extraordinary story of Zimbabwe's liberation through masterful storytelling, exploring the profound effects liberation had on society as well as at the level of the individual.'Remarkable.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'A brutal, honest account of the freedom fighter's struggle for independence in Zimbabwe.' Guardian'A humane and penetrating look at a brutal government and a bloody revolution.' Publishers Weekly

A tender, evocative portrait of a boy’s journey to adulthood in 1960s rural Zimbabwe, written by acclaimed author Shimmer Chinodya.Following a young boy, Godi, as he navigates the complexities of childhood, family, and tradition, Dew in the Morning captures the rhythms and hardships of village life, revealing the deep-rooted connections between land, identity, and memory in Zimbabwe’s national consciousness, and lays the thematic groundwork for Chinodya’s later works.PRAISE FOR SHIMMER CHINODYA:'Remarkable.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'A brutal, honest account of the freedom fighter's struggle for independence in Zimbabwe.' Guardian'A humane and penetrating look at a brutal government and a bloody revolution.' Publishers WeeklyDiscover more from the APOLLO AFRICA series: the new home for 100 timeless works from the legendary Heinemann African Writers Series.

Strife is a rich and densely written novel that provides a dark expos? of the tension between modernity and tradition, and deep insights into culture in Zimbabwe in the 21st century. Chinodya explores the powerful draw that conflicting ideologies exercise over an emerging middle-class that at once yearns for autonomy and unconsciously desires the irresponsibility of an all-pervading destiny. Tracing the Gwanagara?s roots back over a century, Chinodya interweaves past and the present, juxtaposing incidents never forgotten or resolved, revealing how memory becomes an actor in lived time. A large family grows up in Gweru. Their father aspires to be an enlightened Christian man; he sees his children through school and college where they do well. But as adults, they are struck by illness. Who is to blame? Who is to cure these ailments? What wrongs have they committed to offend the ancestors? How can atonement be made? Can education, science and medicine provide any solution? Their mother, the moon huntress, seeks out the answers and the cures in traditional beliefs and customs.

In this new collection, Chioniso and other stories, we are once again reminded how Shimmer Chinodya mines his experience for nuggets. Playing with his doppelganger, Godfrey, he looks back on life in Harare, and in Zimbabwe, over the last decade, exploring it from a familial perspective. How does a father cope with a rebellious daughter or a wife he perceives as wayward? How does one mediate traditional gender roles? What to do when status in the form of a car undermines the stability of a marriage? How does one manage a friendship with a new farmer? What moral compromises are demanded by new wealth and political cronyism? And what is the effect of religion on our lives? Have we become more caring and compassionate, or does piety provide a mask, to disguise greed and ambition, and justify a contempt for the poor? This collection of stories will make you laugh, but it will also challenge you to reconsider what it means to be Zimbabwean in the 21st century.

The 1990 Commonwealth Writers Regional Prize voted Harvest of Thorns the winner in the Best Book category. Harvest of Thorns tells the story of Benjamin Tichafa who grows up in Rhodesia in the 1960s. From a conservative, religious family, but exposed to the heady ideas of the black nationalist movements, the young student is pulled in different directions. Isolated and troubled at boarding school, he is provoked into leaving, making his way to Mozambique, and joining the freedom fighters. There, in the crucible of a bitter civil war of liberation, the young man develops into manhood. Returning, hardened, at independence, he feels that little has changed, not least within his own family circumstances, and asks himself what it means to be free in the new Zimbabwe.