A review by janehaggis
The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu

adventurous funny sad medium-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

3.0

A good read following the life of Vimbai, a hairdresser and single mother in Harare trying to make a life in a world of poverty, hyper inflation, corruption and shortages. Her life is transformed when Dumi gets hired by Vimbai’s salon. A man who cuts women’s hair differently and seems to threaten Vimbai’s position and future. As their relationship changes, a secret emerges that challenges the very core of Vimbai’s being. This is a first novel which works quite well to give a vivid picture of the precarious struggles of most Zimbabweans in living a life. The book also turns on the narrow religious conservatism that imbues much in Zimbabwean life. The author folds in whiteness and race skilfully as a thread through the story as well as the distortions of the post colonial dream. The story rushes to its end and leaves a few ends hanging but ultimately an enjoyable read.