04/04/2022
This powerful debut delivers dynamic portraits of immigrant Zimbabwean women living in the United States. In “Ghost of My Mother,” a single mother fights to keep her heritage and culture alive while raising her daughter in America, even at the risk of losing her only child. Kaseke’s title story follows Vimbiso Nyamukundwa as she struggles to stay in America after a minor run-in with law enforcement results in a deportation case, only to see her dreams come crashing down when heated U.S. politics spell out the likely end. These are stories of resilience and pain that also dramatize the success and achievement of countless immigrant women.
Kaseke offers a stark contrast between expectations of immigrant life and the reality, and at times even her main characters are startled by the difference. In “Globe-Trotter,” a woman on vacation with her cousin in Mozambique questions whether her time spent in America has skewed her views on poverty: “I expect the poor to be poor in the daily scenery available to them. Their eyes shouldn’t be able to afford to behold such beauty.” Meanwhile, Rudo in “The Zimbabwean Dream” feels betrayed when her family back home lies in order to convince her they need more money, despite her constant work at backbreaking jobs where she endures unethical treatment from her bosses. After she’s fired for bringing up legitimate concerns to her employer, Rudo’s hopelessness culminates in her contemplating suicide, painfully thinking that, if it looked like an accident, “her family would never know.”
Readers will be swept away by Kaseke’s skillful portrayals of overcoming adversity. Her characters are equal turns brilliant, inspiring, and mistreated, their stories wrapped into bite-sized offerings that will open readers’ eyes to the layered nuances of immigrant life in America. From learning to survive with immense self-sacrifice to navigating unfamiliar relationships and battling sexism, Kaseke’s Zimbabwean women leave a lasting impression.
Takeaway: A powerful dive into the painful and triumphant experiences of Zimbabwean women immigrating to the United States.
Great for fans of: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck, Ramona Ausubel’s Awayland.
Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A-
