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A review by eegah
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
a fascinating journey that charts the history of Zambia, specifically Lusaka, from the colonial period to the near future. contains the trappings of magical realism, historical literary fiction, and a little bit of science fiction as well.
the jumping off point for the novel is brilliant in its simplicity, allowing us to see distinctly different narratives all throughout the book. I especially liked that the women were front and center in this exploration of Zambian history.
I got a lot more mileage out of this after recently reading King Leopold's Ghost, so I would say some prior knowledge about African history did help me digest this.
the jumping off point for the novel is brilliant in its simplicity, allowing us to see distinctly different narratives all throughout the book. I especially liked that the women were front and center in this exploration of Zambian history.
I got a lot more mileage out of this after recently reading King Leopold's Ghost, so I would say some prior knowledge about African history did help me digest this.