Waiting for the Rain

In this poignant novel, award-winning author, Charles Mungoshi, explores the consequences of colonialism in 1960s Zimbabwe. Waiting for the Rain asks how a nation can look to the future and preserve its traditions while being tied down to the present tyranny of its oppressors.

'Make one slight mistake and you have started another cycle of blood and unremembered graves...'

Told through multiple perspectives of the Mandengu family, Waiting for the Rain eloquently captures the generational effects of colonialism and the slow breaking of family bonds.

Writing during the fiercest years of the Zimbabwe War of Independence, Mungoshi treads a fine line between criticising colonial rule and attempting to avoid British censorship. The result is an astute commentary on the challenges faced in 1960s Zimbabwe.

'Zimbabwe's finest and most versatile writer.' Petina Gappah
'The influence of Mungoshi's work cuts across generations, continents and cultures.' Professor Arthur Mutambara, former Zimbabwean Deputy Prime Minister