WE ARE ALL ZIMBABWEANS NOW- a novel. 271 pages
James Kilgore
A young American historian, Ben Dabney arrives in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1981 when the country is still newly born from the apartheid regime. Ben is excited to write about the history of Zimbabwe and to finally meet the man he idolises, the Prime Minister Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Ben came prepared with a ready list of whom he plans to interview before writing the historical book on reconciliation.
For a few months in a foreign country everything goes according to plan for this young man, he is learning the culture and he even falls in love with a former “guerrilla” Florence Matshaka who was his first interviewee.
But things get complicated as Ben researches the mystery death of one of the guerrillas; he receives treats and even possible deportation if he doesn’t stop investigating.
In this book the author paints a picture of how ordinary citizens that were involved in the struggle are being overlooked. The book also points out that not everything is always black and white in the world of politics.
