Synopses & Reviews
This tender and moving novel follows Ellie, a shy girl growing up in modern Zimbabwe who has a close attachment to her grandmother Evelyn. One day, Ellie receives the news that her beloved grandmother has been brutally murdered, apparently without reason. The narrative then backtracks to Rhodesia in 1946. Evie, a young English war widow moves to a new continent, where she knows no one, and enters into a passionate and dangerous affair with a powerful, married man. She wonders, Will he ever leave his wife? Can life go on after the love has gone? Bravely addressing the political and social situation of white Zimbabwe from the 1940s through present day, this intriguing book uncovers a secret kept hidden for decades.
Review
"Brilliantly evokes the ennui of the pre-Independence settler community who measure out their lives in cups of tea, sundowners, and illicit affairs." —John Eppel, author, Spoils of War
Review
"...it's the personal moments and conflicts that drive this narrative of family secrets and forgiveness."—Publisher's Weekly
Review
"As she uncovers Evelyn's secrets in the diaries, Ellie is forced to reconsider her relationship with her family and also to reexamine how she lives her own life...the personal moments and conflicts drive this narrative of family secrets and forgiveness." —Publisher's Weekly
Synopsis
This September Sun is a chronicle of the lives of two women, the romantic Evelyn and her granddaughter Ellie. Growing up in post-Independence Zimbabwe, Ellie yearns for a life beyond the confines of small town Bulawayo, a wish that eventually comes true when she moves to the United Kingdom. However, life there is not all she dreamed it to be, but it is the murder of her grandmother that eventually brings her back home and forces her to face some hard home truths through the unravelling of long-concealed family secrets.
About the Author
Bryony Rheam is a part-time English teacher and a former lecturer at the University of Londons External Degree Program in Singapore. She is the winner of the Intwasa Short Story Competition and the recipient of the Zimbabwe Best First Book Award.