The Cry of the Go-Away Bird

The recent violent struggles in Zimbabwe form the backdrop to this deeply moving and unexpectedly affecting debut novel. Written is a deceptively simple register, The Cry of the Go-Away Bird nonetheless is deeply felt and darkly ominous - and doesn't flinch from the difficult questions recent history asks us.

Elise is a young white girl in 1990s Zimbabwe, living an idyllic life on her mother's farm. It is a life full of the wonders of nature, the luxuries of colonial life, the certainty of happiness. But the illusion of such safety cannot last. As Elise grows up, she sees the ambiguities around her, the complexities both in the country that she loves and in her own home. The arrival of step-father Steve coincides with a straining in the politics of Zimbabwe. Nothing now is safe, especially as Mugabe's regime turns to punishing the farmers and their land.

It's easy to overplay such emotive fare, but Andrea Eames' understated prose puts the reader right at the heart of the action, without ever feeling manipulated. Plot, character and political insight combine to create a memorable and accomplished novel.