Sabi Star

Africa - captivating, charming, contradictory, confused. This is the setting of this story, told alternately by two people; Sabi Stirling, a fifteen year old Zimbabwean girl, and Clare Boucher, a thirty seven year old American woman - but these words could also be used to describe the two narrators.

Sabi is a delightful and irresistible character. Her life, through no fault of her own, has always been difficult, but she manages to face up to, and work through her difficulties with a mixture of naivety and courage. Wherever you may live in the world, you will be able to identify with the problems she encounters, but she lives in Zimbabwe, so her life has a distinctly African flavour.

The second narrator, Clare was born in Zimbabwe, but moved to America as a child. She has come back to the country of her birth, while she tries to sort out the mess she has made of her life in the States. The story begins with the death of Sabi's gogo, with Sabi and Clare meeting for the first time at the funeral. Sabi feels an immediate connection with Clare, and in the weeks that follow, when long hidden family secrets surface she turns to Clare for comfort and clarification.

Clare meanwhile, in trying to help Sabi through her problems, starts to have a clearer understanding of her own predicament and what she must do to make things better for herself. Sabi is immensely engaging, a mixture between a female Spud and a young Bridget Jones, maybe.