World Famous Comics: Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa
Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa
By: Peter Godwin Publisher: Grove Press Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Grove Press Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 432 Publication Date: November 30, 2004
Mukiwa opens with Peter Godwin, six years old, describing the murder of his neighbor by African guerillas in 1964, pre-war Rhodesia. Godwin's parents are liberal whites, his mother a government-employed doctor, his father an engineer. Through his innocent, young eyes, the story of the beginning of the end of white rule in Africa unfolds. The memoir follows Godwin's personal journey from the eve of war in Rhodesia to his experience fighting in the civil war that he detests to his adventures as a journalist in the new state of Zimbabwe, covering the bloody return to black rule. With each transition Godwin's voice develops, from that of a boy to a young man to an adult returning to his homeland. This poignant compelling memoir describes the savage struggle between blacks and whites as the British Colonial period comes to an end, set against the vividly painted background of the mysterious world of southern Africa.
Amazon.com Review: Peter Godwin grew up in Rhodesia during the end of white rule. While his Rhodesians Never Die is a historical account of that time, Mukiwa is a more personal narrative--a testament to Africa and a memoir as seen through the eyes of a child becoming a young man amidst civil war. Spanning 1964-1982, from when Godwin was a boy of six in Rhodesia to when he returned to Zimbabwe as a journalist covering the bloody transition back to black rule, Godwin personalizes a difficult era in South African history with clarity, intelligence, humor, empathy, and sharp prose.
Mukiwa takes you in, and then shakes you up! Peter Godwin recounts his early childhood in such personal terms that you will regress along with him. You'll feel the pangs of growing up in a boarding school, of his awakening to his social status and that of the blacks that worked for his family - of the colonized Africans who became Zimbabweans. His transformation into young adult foreign journalist with a Rhodesian's perspective takes you inside the revolution that formed Zimbabwe, and likely you will be left with the need for resolution that still plagues Zimbabwe today. Read this book - you'll enjoy and learn from it.
Mukiwa a White Boy in Africa Peter Godwin has written a very interesting and informative book. His descriptions of Zimbabwe as a child before and after the Mugabe government are enthralling and informative for those who do not know what was going on in Africa during the mid-20th. century. He writes with sympathy for both sides. This book made me want to read more on the on-going struggle in Zimbabwe to become a cohesive country, despite its' history. .
An Insider's View of Zimbabwe While traveling on an overland safari, I ran out of books to read. (Although I brought plenty, as an English teacher, I was devouring them as we drove through the African countryside.) Fortunately, one of the French girls in the back of the truck had just finished a book and was willing to lend it to me. She said that Mukiwa was captivating and that I wouldn't be able to put it down, and she was right. Having already visited Zimbabwe several times, I was fascinated to learn more about the white experience there, especially since I had recently read Catherine Buckle's African Tears, which also describes the current land invasions. Because many tourists don't delve deeper into Zimbabwe than a quick jaunt to Victoria Falls, Godwin's memoir is an important read. Godwin describes the reality of living in a country as tumultuous as it is beautiful. The reader can't help but gain a love of the country himself and come to understand why Godwin would risk his life in returning. Fortunately, I was able to experience a glimpse of the beauty of the country myself while visiting some of their game parks. It was on one of these drives in Hwange that I first fell in love with Africa and can understand why Godwin's parents would risk their lives by choosing to remain. I enjoyed the book so much that I purchased the sequel When a Crocodile Eats the Sun at the Johannesburg Airport. I follow the news in Africa online every day--especially the news of Zimbabwe and South Africa, and cannot express how much I value the insight that Godwin provides in both of these books. I also developed a fondness and empathy for his family as they endure the turbulent times that face Zimbabwe. Despite the many problems that face the continent, I am looking forward to my eighth trip. I have been discussing Godwin's book with my honors students and told them that I plan to read his other three--Wild at Heart, The Three of Us, and Rhodesians Never Die--before I leave.
love peter godwin's books. you will be fascinated, even if you have never been to Africa! All Peter Godwin's book, this one,and When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, are fabulous, easy to read, and so informative!
Our Book Club's choice for discussion in April Our choice for April was especially meaningful to one of our members who had lived in Africa for over 12 years as a missionary. She was aghast at the author's mother leaving him while she did her medical duties and this was cause for a great discussion both of Africa and the decisions parents, especially mothers, so often have to make. We all thought the beginning chapters were the very best writing, just made us feel as the author had felt growing up. Especially powerful were his writing about wanting to live where it wasn't so dangerous for little boys! Lots of grief in this story, but lots of love, too.
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