The Cry of the Go-Away Bird

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Elise is a young white Zimbabwean in the 1990s. Her clothes are always clean and ironed, there is always tea in the silver teapot, gins and tonics are served on the verandah, and, so she believes, black and white are living in harmony. As Mugabe’s presidency turns sour, however, this idyllic and privileged world begins to crumble into anarchy – and Elise discovers that behind her paradise lay inequalities and horrors that she had never imagined.

Told through the eyes of a young girl, ‘The Cry of the Go-Away Bird’ follows the struggle of one white farming family to stay afloat in the collapsing economy and escalating horror of Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. When the farm invasions begin, the violence threatens to destroy their way of life forever, and escaping the vengeful ghosts of their past seems impossible.

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The Cry of the Go-Away Bird is a powerful coming-of-age novel that deserves a huge audience; this is a story that should be read.For Books’ Sake review

The Independent review

The sands of trust are forever shifting and Eames’s description of how the two groups steer around and at times into each other crackles with tension and authenticity.The Guardian review

It’s easy to overplay such emotive fare, but Andrea Eames’ understated prose puts the reader right at the heart of the action, without ever feeling manipulated. Plot, character and political insight combine to create a memorable and accomplished novel.Book Trust review