Point of View

This novel adopts the personal, intimate perspective of a mother writing to her daughter. From this warm and maternal perspective, Shiri the mother observes her daughter, reflects on her mother, and comments on her own parenting style. This intimate and personal perspective takes shape in two major forms: first, the letter-writer uses anecdotes to describe salient moments in her and her daughter’s life; second, the letter-writer gives advice based on those anecdotes.

Thus, the point of view is both descriptive and prescriptive. On the one hand, Shiri is describing herself and her daughter. Shiri is particularly invested in describing what life was life before Zimbabwean independence and during the fight for freedom. By sharing anecdotes from her own life and from her rebellious, guerrilla sister Linda, Shiri hopes to give Zenzele a sense of how her country has developed over the decades. She also...