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A review by brughiera
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
4.0
Most striking about this novel is the perspective, that of a Shona village girl in the second part of the twentieth century. Tambu’s feisty character is revealed in the opening sentence where she states that she was not sorry when her brother died. This is linked to her hunger for education, initially denied to her when her brother, the male heir, is the one chosen by her English-educated uncle, Babamukuru, to be supported in his studies, while Tambu has to drop out. She determines to earn the necessary fees and grows her own maize crop. The discovery that her own brother has been stealing her mealies fortuitously leads to her getting the advice and assistance of the teacher, Mr Makimba. She sells her maize and Mr Makimba ensures the proceeds go towards her school fees.
After the death of her brother, Tambu is the one supported by her uncle and she goes to live with his family at the mission and attend his school. Her experiences are contrasted with those of Nyasha, Babamukuru’s daughter, who spent her early years in England and whose rebellious attitude towards her father stands out against Tambu’s gratitude. The dynamics of extended family relationships play out further in visits to the homestead of Babamakuru leading to the ridiculous requirement of a formal marriage of Tambu’s father to her mother. But the focus of the novel remains on Tambu’s determination to be educated which culminates in her acceptance of a place at the Young Ladies College of the Sacred Heart. Although she revels in the educational opportunities, a cloud is cast by the psychiatric illness (anorexia?) of her cousin Nyasha. The ominous words of Tambu’s mother: “The problem is the Englishness, so just you be careful!” imply that much remains to be told of the lives of both Tambu and Nyasha.
While this is a very personal story, it is also emblematic of the historical context of what was then Rhodesia with a focus on the circumstances of girls and women at that time. Through the excellent story-telling the history becomes memorable.
After the death of her brother, Tambu is the one supported by her uncle and she goes to live with his family at the mission and attend his school. Her experiences are contrasted with those of Nyasha, Babamukuru’s daughter, who spent her early years in England and whose rebellious attitude towards her father stands out against Tambu’s gratitude. The dynamics of extended family relationships play out further in visits to the homestead of Babamakuru leading to the ridiculous requirement of a formal marriage of Tambu’s father to her mother. But the focus of the novel remains on Tambu’s determination to be educated which culminates in her acceptance of a place at the Young Ladies College of the Sacred Heart. Although she revels in the educational opportunities, a cloud is cast by the psychiatric illness (anorexia?) of her cousin Nyasha. The ominous words of Tambu’s mother: “The problem is the Englishness, so just you be careful!” imply that much remains to be told of the lives of both Tambu and Nyasha.
While this is a very personal story, it is also emblematic of the historical context of what was then Rhodesia with a focus on the circumstances of girls and women at that time. Through the excellent story-telling the history becomes memorable.