It is not often that a book can portray what life is like from both sides of the fence. The book, Landsong, a ‘faction’ book written by Geraint Jones, seems to be able to do just that well. It takes into account both the feelings of the local tribesmen and the white-men that have come to live in a special place called Rhodesia. It is a fictional portrayal, based on and including historical aspects, about a time in Rhodesia when everyone’s life, and what they have always known, is about to be thrown into turmoil. The story begins by following the life of a young and gifted African boy, Jairos Mapfumo, that struggles to live in both worlds; the one in which he was raised and the one created by the white men who have come to live in their country. Once he is discovered to be very bright he is chosen to go to a mission school and receive a white-man’s education to help him succeed in a changing African world. His father, one of the tribal leaders, agrees to this and the story begins in earnest. Although it may seem as if the story may end before it begins, life, as always, has a different fate in mind as war and tragedy at home interfere to change and try to take control of his life. The story takes the time to highlight the differences between the two worlds that coexist side by side in one country. It also highlights the boy’s struggle to fit into both worlds as he grows and the world he has always known changes around him. He soon discovers that he fits into neither world as a grown man.
The first few pages were ones that were difficult to read through, not because the story was badly written or the content was uninteresting or important. The fact was that it seemed to contain way too much description overpowering the reader to begin with. This caused the story to bog down at first as the author, Geraint Jones, seemed to try and set up too much atmosphere all at once. Getting through the first few pages though were well worth it as the story continued. The story pulls you in and makes you want to know how this young boy, and later man, fits into his ever changing world.
The book itself was well researched by the author. Not only did he research the topic well, but also experienced the pull of both worlds as he grew up, lived in, and then later in the BSAP for six years in Rhodesia. Not a novice to the African world, he lived and grew up in many different Southern African nations. This is a well-written book about the atmosphere of the change in Rhodesia. This book is worth the read as it touches both the history and the feeling of the times.