The Book of Not

Written by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Narrated by Chipo Chung

The Book of Not continues the saga of Tambudzai, picking up where Nervous Conditions left off. As Tambu begins secondary school at the Young Ladies’ College of the Sacred Heart, she is still reeling from the personal losses that war has
inflicted upon her family—her uncle and sister were injured in a mine explosion. Soon she’ll come face to face with discriminatory practices at her mostly white school. And when she graduates and begins a job at an advertising agency, she
realizes that the political and historical forces that threaten to destroy the fabric of her community are outside the walls of the school as well. Tsitsi Dangarembga, honored with the 2021 PEN Award for Freedom of Expression, digs deep into the
damage colonialism and its education system does to Tambu’s sense of self amid the struggle for Zimbabwe’s independence, resulting in a brilliant and incisive second novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781705041383

Reviews for The Book of Not

[psalva-706031 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This second volume in a trilogy is rather depressing. It outlines Tambu‘s experience at boarding school during the war leading to Zimbabwe‘s sovereignty in 1980. Her every achievement is thwarted by a broken, racist, colonial system. The writing is simple but peppered with rather poetic language. I didn‘t enjoy this as much as the first book, but that it‘s because I felt so bad for the frustration of Tambu as she deals with so much unfairness.

[japaul22 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

[The Book of Not] is the second in autobiographical fiction trilogy by Zimbabwean author, Tsitsi Dangarembga. I absolutely loved the first book, [Nervous Conditions], for its authentic voice, look at Zimbabwean culture, and feminist voice. Unfortunately, I didn't think this sequel was quite as successful. In this book, Tambu, the main character, goes off to her next level of schooling, one of the best high schools in the country, which is mainly populated by white Rhodesians. There she deals with racism but also run-of-the-mill girlfriend drama and academic pressures. She is searching for her identity and torn between responsibilities to her country and culture and her desire to escape to a better life. While these typical teenage dramas are playing out, the country is going through serious war and violence as the native people try to oust the white colonist. Tambu is involved and there are some brutal scenes of her family's experience, but she seems to remain on the outside of the violence and the focus stays on her high school experience. While I still liked this book and will read the next in the trilogy, it was definitely less enjoyable for me. I felt like the writing was a bit overdone and the focus was more narrowly on Tambu. I missed some of the characters from the first novel.

[kaitanya64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot, but the ending doesn't provide closure. Too much set up for the next book. Still, it provides a clear picture of life during civil unrest, the difficulty particularly of being a teenager facing the issues of loyalty and identity. How does one cope with violence and confusion without becoming overwhelmed? The book's structure is weak but the writing is sound.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

While Dangarembga's prose is as fluid as in Nervous Conditions, this sequel just doesn't come close to measuring up. Whether it's related to the narrator being more secluded or less sympathetic, it's hard to say, but the drive and freshness of the first novel are lost to a nearly plodding narrative. I may read this writer's work again, but I won't read the third work in this trilogy or keep high hopes after the disappointment I got from this one.