Goodbye Rhodesia

Chris Mears' account of what it was like to be a white economic immigrant to what was then called Rhodesia in the 1950s, is far removed from the usual colonial clichés of servants and sundowners round the pool - not least because she is a vegetarian in a country that likes a good braai. She takes us from her arrival in an abandoned RAF camp, starting as a government clerk, through marriage to tobacco farmer Martin and the hard graft of bringing up a family whilst living in a remote part of Southern Rhodesia. Their life is tough, bush fires common and money scarce but they are enchanted by life on their farm, particularly its wildlife. At one time a Nile monitor lizard lives in their roof. `The first we saw of him was a very large clawed foot appear in the gap between the rafters and wall just about half a metre above our heads. Then came the hefty shoulder, followed slowly and laboriously by a soft yellow and black spotted underbelly and a banded tail.'

The couple are impressive in their optimistic making-do attitude. They think nothing of building their own house extension from asbestos, having to brave a river flood to reach hospital when their daughter is born and eventually moving hundreds of miles in search of work. At this point the story moves from the domestic sphere as Chris undertakes a variety of jobs from local journalist, radio reporter to census enumerator and police clerk. These episodes in her life she describes engagingly, with great humour and honesty. She admits that she never questioned segregated schools, that she later had a fiction story returned because it might cause offense to black people and that when Ian Smith gave his famous speech about Rhodesia cutting itself off from Britain she `felt there was nothing I could do about the state of the nation so I might as well have the afternoon at the pictures.' But she does see both sides. For instance at the border crossing from the black North to white South she describes how, `on the one side were the black officials, slow, deliberate and stolidly officious... on the other, white officials, overheated, impatiently officious, rude to the blacks.'

Part diary, part travelogue, part round Robin, I very much enjoyed this book. Like The White Season currently running on BBC2 which looks at the white working class who feel increasingly marginalised, it's important to hear about `The White Experience' of living in Zimbabwe, especially as it helps us understand the situation in the country today. However, it is the descriptions of nature and particularly animals which have most stuck in my mind such as the moment when all the different ranks of animals wait around after the killing of a young elephant, her account ending with the words `the mother elephant continued to grieve, the evening breeze blew across the dam, and an unseen hippo bellowed his disdain of the world.' Perhaps this would also be a fitting metaphor for the sense of loss Chris Mears felt at having to move away and see that world she loved, deteriorate. It takes courage to write a book, to self publish and have your voice heard - in this case I think it is well worth the effort, even if you don't always see eye to eye with the perspective.

Excellent book of first hand experiences in Rhodesia (0/0 people found this helpful)

An excellent addition to my library. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of a real family and their personal experiences in what was to become an increasingly volatile political society.
Although I have to admit that I always enjoy biographies to fiction I am sorry that some reviewers were unable to finish Chris Mears book - I was unable to put it down until finished!
In my humble opinion this was an excellent book, easy to read and written with humour and compassion.
I would welcome a follow up book from this author who must have an untapped source of experiences.
J.Joy (UK)

A first class read (1/2 people found this helpful)

This was a most enjoyable read. A wonderful account of life in Rhodesia before it all fell apart.

a struggle (1/2 people found this helpful)

I really struggled to get through this book. I was left wondering what the purpose of the book was..what was the author trying to tell us. It flits too much from one situation to the next and never really developes a theme. I gave up a third of the way through and gave it away as a gift to a person wh felt I was being unkind in my assessment of it. She contacted me weeks later and said she too had given up as she just could not find a theme to the story and eventually put the book down. What a shame as I feel the author really has a story to tell...she just failed to articulate it into a readable book.

Dissapointing worth 1 star only (2/3 people found this helpful)

I wish someone would write a really good book about their life in "Rhodesia" instead of the patronising account I have just read. The book left me feeling very hostile toward the author.

Chris Mears

Reader Reviews:

Goodye Rhodesia (1/2 people found this helpful)

Excellent book of first hand experiences in Rhodesia (0/0 people found this helpful)

A first class read (1/2 people found this helpful)

a struggle (1/2 people found this helpful)

Dissapointing worth 1 star only (2/3 people found this helpful)

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