House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided In WarTorn Z - Hardcover

Christina Lamb

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0007219385 ISBN 13: 9780007219384

Publisher: HARPER PRESS, 2006

Synopsis

HOUSE OF STONE is based on a remarkable series of interviews with a white farmer and black nanny, set against the backdrop of the last of Britain's colonies in Africa to become independent, and the descent into madness of one of Africa's most respected nationalist leaders. "...One bright morning, Nigel Hough, one of the few remaining white farmers, received the news he had been dreading. There was a crowd of war veterans at his gates demanding he hand over his homestead. When he returned, the mob started a fire and dragged him to an outhouse. To his shock, the leader of the invaders was the family's much-loved, nanny Aqui. "Get out or we'll kill you," she spat. "There is no place for whites in our country." Christina Lamb uncovered the astonishing human saga told in HOUSE OF STONE while traveling back and forth to report clandestinely on Zimbabwe. Her powerful narrative traces the history of the brutal Rhodesia civil war, independence, the hope then despair of the Mugabe years, through the lives of two people she met who find themselves on opposing sides. Although born within a few miles of each other, their experience growing up could not have been more different. While Nigel played cricket for his country and piloted his own plane under Victoria Falls Bridge, Aqui grew up in a mud-and-dpole hut, sleeping on the floor with her brothers and sisters. "They had cars and went shopping in South Africa. We didn't have food and had to walk an hour each day to fetch water," she remembers.

About this title

About the Author:

Christina Lamb was named Foreign Correspondent of the Year in the British Press Awards and the BBC What The Papers Say awards this year, the second time she has won both of these awards. In 2002, she also won these, along with the Foreign Press Association award for her reporting on the war on terrorism. She has won numerous other awards starting with Young Journalist of the Year in the British Press Awards for her coverage of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1988. Currently roving Foreign Affairs Correspondent for the 'Sunday Times', she has been a foreign correspondent for almost 20 years, living in Pakistan, Brazil and South Africa first for the 'Financial Times' then the 'Sunday Times'. She is the author of the best-selling book 'The Africa House' as well as 'House of Stone', 'Waiting For Allah'. 'Small Wars Permitting: Despatches from Foreign Lands', a collection of her reportage, will be published in January.

Review:

'Lamb is a careful observer, and her anguished refrain is the terrible schizophrenia of people who fiercely love their land but do nothing to save it!the strength is in the storytelling!it is a good piece of reportage!her book deserves to be read.' Daily Telegraph 'Lamb's achievement is to present the modern story of Zimbabwe through convincing portraits from across the racial divide. It takes great insight and considerable imaginative powers to describe the unfolding story from both sides, but this she manages with complete conviction!consummate storyteller that she is, Lamb finds some ray of hope for her protagonists.' Sunday Times 'Riveting!Lamb's book tells a disaster story on a massive scale.' Daily Mail 'Compelling!Lamb has a remarkable pair of stories to tell, and does so extremely well.' Spectator 'A perceptive account of Zimbabwean history since the colonial days.' Times Literary Supplement

About this edition

• Publisher: HARPER PRESS
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0007219385
• ISBN 13: 9780007219384
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 320