Darling is only ten years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends steal guavas, try to get the baby out of young Chipo's belly, and grasp at memories of Before. Before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the school closed, before the fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. But Darling has a chance to escape: she has an aunt in America. She travels to this new land in search of America's famous abundance only to find that her options as an immigrant are perilously few.
"[A] deeply felt and fiercely written debut novel...Using her gift for pictorial language, Ms. Bulawayo gives us snapshots of Zimbabwe that have the indelible color and intensity of a folk art painting..."
The New York Times
"By removing the sentimentality from her storytelling, Bulawayo has written a powerful novel. Her gift as a visual storyteller should propel her to a bright future - a dream fulfilled, no matter the country."
