Set in Tanzania at the turn of the century, this novel explores the intersecting lives of three young people.

Badar, an orphan, endures poverty in a small village. At age 14, he’s sent to work in a mansion. He calls the owner the Mistress. For the first time in his life he finds stability as she teaches him to cook, clean, and belong.

Fauzia, a bright and determined girl, excels at school despite her mother’s overprotectiveness, rooted in Fauzia’s childhood ‘falling sickness’. Confident and self-assured, she thrives into her teenage years.

Karim, the Mistress’s ambitious son, returns from university brimming with dreams. He falls in love with Fauzia, and their life blossoms – marriage, a baby and the promise of a shared future.

But life twists unexpectedly. On a visit to his mother, Badar is falsely accused of theft. Karim, showing compassion, offers him refuge in Zanzibar and finds him a job. For a time, he lives with Karim and Fauzia, but realises that the young lovers need their privacy, so rents a room.

Karim, now excelling in his career, struggles with fatherhood, leading him to an attraction with a tourist from the Tamarind Hotel.

This is a story of self-awareness, of how Badar, Fauzia, and Karim confront their destinies. It’s also a nuanced reflection on the impact of tourism, technology and progress on their once-quiet world – a poignant exploration of growth, betrayal and resilience.

At first, I struggled to connect with this story. The formal writing and unfamiliar names took some adjusting to, but perseverance paid off – Gurnah’s Nobel Prize-winning touch shone through.

Reviewed by Sue Stanbridge

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