Product Description: In 1971, when Alexandra Fuller was two, her parents abandoned their life in England and returned to what was then Rhodesia, and to the beginning of a civil war. By the time she was eight, the war was at its height. While her father was away for long stretches, fighting on the side of the white government, her mother worked the family farm with a passionate determination fuelled by a ferociously deep love for Africa. Don't let's go to the dogs tonight is about living through a civil war and coming to a realisation that the side you have been fighting for may well be the wrong one. It is a story of optimism and faith; of one family's quixotic battle against nature and loss, and their unbreakable bond with a continent which came to define, shape, scar and heal them.
Wonderful story, well told and narrated Alexandra Fuller tells a story about growing up in farms in Zimbabwe as it became independent and then in Malawi as her parents worked to make a living among expats and natives. She went to a white school which emptied out of the white students at independence and then filled with the black children of the neighborhood. They had a servant who was a gifted tracker. She was invited into the home of a very poor black family. As a child she was able to see and do things the adults couldn't. Alexandra has a wonderful recall of the details of childhood. Lisette Lecat has a perfectly clear and delightful voice with a British accent that makes hearing the details a pleasure.
Leaves much to be desired I have to say, I was certainly looking forward to reading this book, having heard much about it from family and friends (I'm from Zimbabwe). Perhaps it is the fact that I am not a white Zimbabwean, but from the first pages, I had a bitter taste in my mouth. I admired the writing, but that was about it. The overwhelming impression that we had of whites growing up in Zim became manifest in this book, and I was transported back to those days. The most disturbing thing for me was the lack of remorse...no, redemption, by the author. She would relay stories about her racist parents, her upbringing and such, and did not transmit any sense that all this was not right, not humane. Strange how the same words can be read by different people and evoke such divergent responses.
Dogs Audio CD Alexandra Fuller is such a talented writer. I have read "Dogs" twice as it reminds me of my own African childhood. I have given it to friends who have loved it, so I decided it was time to listen to it on audio CD. I enjoyed it tremendously. Lisette Lecat's accents are wonderful and I could picture a young Bobo Fuller even more vividly than when I'd read the book. I found myself laughing in my car at times and couldn't wait to get back into the car so I could continue listening to Bobo's fascinating childhood story. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I am currently listening to Scribbling The Cat on audio CD.
Excellent!! I could hardly put this book down. It's the memoirs of a British girl growing up in Africa. Her story is absolutely fascinating. Highly recommended
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