The Uncertainty of Hope by Valerie Tagwira
April 2023 book selection
About the bookThe title is set in the densely populated suburb of Mbare, Harare, and explores the complex lives of Onai Moyo – a market woman and mother of three children – and her best friend, Katy Nguni – a vendor and black-market currency dealer. The novel gives an insight into the challenges faced by a wide cross section of Zimbabwe, where life expectancy has dropped to 37, possibly the lowest in the world. The stories of these two close friends are situated in a high-density suburb. However, the author, Valerie Tagwira also introduces to a much wider cross-section of Zimbabwean society: Tom Sibanda, a young businessman and farmer, his girlfriend, Faith, a university student, Tom’s sister Emily, a health professional, and Mawaya, the ostensible beggar. With depth and sensitivity, Tagwira pulls these many threads into a densely woven novel that provides us with of some of the many faces of contemporary Zimbabwe.
About the Bookclub
Joining is as simple as showing up to our monthly meet-up. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month and we welcome everybody with open arms. Spread the love and invite others; the more the merrier! Let’s grow our conversation circle! We will share our monthly book selection via our mailing list and social media (Facebook and Instagram).