March: Avenues by Train
by Farai Mudzingwa

Review by Tonderai Chiyindiko

The place of the story 

Farai Mudzingwa’s debut novel, Avenues By Train set predominantly present-day Zimbabwe, but with some parts of the narrative taking place in precolonial through to colonial times, is an ambitious and expansive novel which traces the country’s history through the central character of Jedza, his childhood friends Takunda and Dalitso, sister Natsai and several others who at one point or another interact with each other over the course of the story.

The structure and what it conveys

The story is not told in the beginning-middle-end structure which most novels follow, but rather fluidly oscillates between present day and the past, between the natural and supernatural worlds, between the realm of reality and dreams, in-between spaces inhabited by humans and other non-human characters such as njuzu, vadzimu and mashavi. This technique and subsequent structure of the novel allows the story to proceed in a non-linear way which further solidifies the idea that worlds are intertwined and therefore constantly clashing as evidenced by how characters consult either prophets, traditional healers or elders on matters of the day which often are connected to past events, which, unresolved, have an impact mostly negative on the trajectory of one’s life. These beliefs are not uncommon and form a key part of the social structure and dynamics within the Zimbabwean and by extension African societies and demonstrate how the divide between the living and the dead is not as in other cultures hence the stories of each of the characters are connected whether in present day or through some past encounters between their ‘ancestors’.
This world is often not fully understood and at times would even be referred to as occult, characterized by witchcraft and other malevolent forces which Mudzingwa weaves together to create a rich, compelling and colourful world of his novel.

The part of music

Mudzingwa draws upon and expertly utilizes the rich musical tradition of Zimbabwe from Thomas Mapfumo’s Chimurenga music to the more recent Zim-Dancehall (where he references the musician Killer T) which tells stories of the struggles of urban youths as they pursue dreams unfulfilled, to the township melodies of Tanga wekwa Sando, the sobering lyrics off Leornard Zhakata and many others. The traditional, deeply spiritual and cultural sounds of other prominent artists like Mbuya Stella Chiweshe typified by the mbira, marimba, ngoma and hosho give the story a powerful soundtrack as the lyrics often speak of social ills, connections or lack thereof to ancestors and those from the other realm as well as the cyclical nature of African life.

Avenues By Train a welcome addition to Zimbabwe’s literary milieu and showcases the talents of an author who is deeply engaged with his country and its society.