Nervous Conditions - by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Paperback)

The Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga is a groundbreaking first novel in a trilogy that won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and has been hailed as one of the 20th century's most significant works of African literature.

This coming-of-age story follows thirteen-year-old Tambudzai Sigauke, who yearns to be free of her rural village and thinks she's found her way out when her wealthy uncle offers to sponsor her schooling.

However, she soon learns that the education comes with a price.

This powerful novel explores the economic hopes of her parents, siblings, and extended family resting on Tambudzai's shoulders, as well as her desire for independence.

With chromatic, rich, and impres-sively precise sentences, Dangarembga investigates the ironic psychological demands of global capitalism on a country whose citizens have been fractured by that system.

Complex and flawed characters are treated with sublime reserve, making this novel a must-read for anyone interested in African literature and coming-of-age stories.