Sibilla

Sibilla is the titular character of the first chapter in the section “The Grandmothers.” She was born in 1939 in Italy, and moved to Zambia with her lover Federico after he killed his brother and stole his identity after his brother raped Sibilla. She is the daughter of Giacomo, who is the son of Pietro, the bartender whom Percy fought with in the novel’s first part, and Adriana, a servant of Giacomo’s family. Sibilla is born with long hair all over her body, a curse which continues into her adulthood. Her hair makes her an interesting attraction at the parties hosted by Giacomo’s sister. Later, she strikes up a relationship with Sylvia at her salon by donating her excess of hair to make wigs.

Through Sibilla’s story, the reader learns about Italian colonialism in Zambia, as Federico became involved in the building of the Kariba...