House of Stone: The True Story of a Family Divided in War-Torn Zimbabwe

I love the mixture of history and story telling in this book. It provides a lot of historical background and context so that you can better understand the characters lives, perspectives, and decisions. I didn't want to put it down, and it leads up well to the climax. I do wish the author had spent a little more time sharing about the characters' spiritual journeys as I think it would have provided more insight and depth. But I would definitely recommend this book, either for those specifically wanting to learn more about Zimbabwe, or for anyone just looking to expand their worldview or read a fascinating story!

I found this book while browsing for another one and I have to say, it is fantastic!! I couldn't stop reading, I had to continue chapter after chapter. It is a shocking story about the rise of Mugabe, told from two different point of views, a black girl and on the other side a white boy, both growing up in their worlds in Zimbabwe.This book makes great reading and is shocking at the same time. A must read for anyone concerned about racism and the african history/colonialism. I can highle recommend this book!!!!

A wonderful addition to the library of anyone who was born and raised in Zimbabwe - probably not much interest to anyone else unless they are studying African history.

This is a very great book opens peoples eyes to what happened and a touch of what mugabe has done since his rein of not sure what to call it this book shows you both sides of the story from the mouth of babes as the saying goes

This book is truly amazing, a must read. What we enjoyed most about this book is how the author showed us life from both the "black" and "white" points of view. Have already passed this book on to our family and friends to read.

Great read and well written about life in Zimbabwe from the perspective of someone with and without privilege.

I re-read this book recently as the news from Zimbabwe continues to get worse and worse -- and as I write this, a cholera epidemic has gripped the country.Christina Lamb has done readers a great service by telling the story of Zimbabwe's recent history through the eyes of two individuals, the African maid Aqui, who once dreamed of becoming a nurse and now struggles to feed her family, and Nigel, a white farmer whose family once employed Aqui as a nurse. Only by looking at the complete collapse of the country from both perspectives can the outsider begin to understand the ways in which the swings of history have led to the current dire situation. Like South Africa, the country formerly known as Rhodesia was governed by whites, with black Africans largely disenfranchised. The farms -- the backbone of the economy -- were owned by wealthy white families. Unlike South Africa, however, armed insurrection led by Robert Mugabe and others contributed heavily to the demise of Ian Smith's regime and the arrival of majority rule in the 1970s.But within what looked like a triumph for democracy and human rights lay the seeds of the current conflict, which has caught both blacks and whites in a cycle of violence and death. Majority rule didn't change the balance of economic power -- white families still controled the economy. Ultimately, frustration on the part of black Africans desperate for some land played into the hands of megalomaniac Mugabe, who, in a blatant attempt to distract his constituents from his own corruption and mismanagement, encouraged "veterans" of the independence wars to seize the farms from their previous owners. That was often only accomplished with violence, and many white Zimbabweans fled. (I do know some of these individuals.) Nigel has hung on, however, and Lamb explores his determination to hang on to his family's heritage even as Aqui struggles to build some kind of life for her own family.It's the inability of the Zimbabwean regime to even begin to accomodate both of these sets of interests that is at the heart of Lamb's narrative. Nigel is seeking security; Aqui, opportunity. Meanwhile, both -- and the groups they represent in Zimbabwe -- are being manipulated cynically by Mugabe's regime. The tragedy is that the history of inequities under first the white regime of Ian Smith and now the black regime of Mugabe has produced the current state of affairs, one where Nigel the farmer can finally acknowledge his racist attitudes -- even as Aqui reacts to decades of suppression by becoming "racist" in her turn and telling her former employer to leave his farm or the occupying force of 'veterans' she has joined will kill him and his family. "There is no place for whites in this country."Lamb is to be commended for having tackled such a difficult topic in an even-handed manner, and for persisting in reporting this tale, a dangerous thing to do in a country that has banned foreign reporters and has a track record of complete suppression of local media. (One television reporter was abducted and murdered last year after shooting footage of an opposition leader emerging from hospital after a beating.)

I'm amazed that I only found this book now. An excellent riveting read telling the story of modern Zimbabwe through the eyes of white farmer Nigel and their black maid Aqui. Well and cleverly written with chapters alternating between Nigel's and Aqui's side of this "drama". My only complaint is that it was not available in Kindle format.

A good read - both sad and informative.

A moving story, very well written and researched.