Darling lives in a shanty town in Zimbabwe. Her home is made of tin, her mother treks to the border to sell things to get money, her father is away in South Africa, but seems to have forgotten all about his family. Nevertheless, Darling and her friends make the most of every day with their games and songs, and stealing fruit from the trees in the rich neighbourhoods, since they no longer go to school.
The first part of the book draws some detailed sketches of life in Zimbabwe, covering Religion, AIDS, the role of NGOs. Once more I find myself convinced by a child narrator in a debut novel (see also The Land of Decoration).
In the second half of the book, Darling moves to America to live with her aunt and her Ghanian husband. Her voice becomes more mature, as she faces the problems of living as an immigrant. This part of the book was more fragmented, with tales of a family wedding, visiting the mall, and dealing with her uncle's mental instability.
I wasn't sure that this book came to any conclusions, except that the grass is always greener.
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