Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Hairdresser of Harare

The book was beautifully written, and it was an interesting window into the everyday life of people in Zimbabwe. It went into how differently the rich lived from the poor. I grew to really love the characters, so it was hard to see the pain they went through.

Content Warnings

niniwa's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

melanie_page's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark informative sad fast-paced

4.0

Perhaps it is because I am an American person reading a book set in and by a Zimbabwean author, but I found the "secret" of Dumi to be obvious. At every little turn the author gives us something undeniable, but the main character Vimbai, doesn't see it until the last twenty pages or so, and that's when she reads Dumi's confession written in his own hand. The end of the book was quite speedy, but again, that may be differences in culture and thus writing styles. However, I felt like the author taught me about the economy of Zimbabwe without giving a lecture on the subject. The fact that Vimbai is given a loan that will mean nothing in two years because the value of money changes constantly, the way cars are on the street or not based on gas production, how sugar is only purchased when you have a network of people giving you clues (like it's a band doing a one-time pop-up show), and that there is 90% unemployment.

Content Warnings

More...