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When Rain Clouds Gather, by Bessie Head
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Rural Botswana is the backdrop for When Rain Clouds Gather, the first novel published by one of Africa's leading woman writers in English, Bessie Head (1937-1986). Inspired by her own traumatic life experiences as an outcast in Apartheid South African society and as a refugee living at the Bamangwato Development Association Farm in Botswana, Head's tough and telling classic work is set in the poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, a haven to exiles. A South African political refugee and an Englishman join forces to revolutionize the villagers' traditional farming methods, but their task is fraught with hazards as the pressures of tradition, opposition from the local chief, and the unrelenting climate threaten to divide and devastate the fragile community.
Head's layered, compelling story confronts the complexities of such topics as social and political change, conflict between science and traditional ways, tribalism, the role of traditional African chiefs, religion, race relations, and male female relations.
Other titles by Bessie Head available from Waveland Press: The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales (ISBN 9781478607601) and Maru (ISBN 9781478607618).
Other titles by African writers from Waveland Press:
Ba, So Long a Letter (ISBN 9781577668060)
Beti, The Poor Christ of Bomba (ISBN 9781577664185)
Emecheta, Kehinde (ISBN 9781577664192)
Equiano, Equiano's Travels (ISBN 9781577664871)
La Guma, In the Fog of the Seasons' End (ISBN 9781478600251)
Marechera, The House of Hunger (ISBN 9781478604730)
Mofolo, Chaka (ISBN 9781478607151)
Ngugi-Mugo, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (ISBN 9781478611318)
Nwapa, Efuru (ISBN 9781478611011)
Oyono, Houseboy (ISBN 9781577669883)
Oyono, The Old Man and the Medal (ISBN 9781478609582)
p'Bitek, Song of Lawino & Song of Ocol (ISBN 9781478604723)
Plaatje, Mhudi (ISBN 9781478609575)
Rifaat, Distant Views of a Minaret and Other Short Stories (ISBN 9781478611288)
- Sales Rank: #454413 in Books
- Published on: 2013-09-30
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 186 pages
Review
"I am grateful that Waveland has provided reliable editions of Bessie Head's works, especially When Rain Clouds Gather. The notes and glossary are helpful to first-time readers. The overall quality and price of these editions make them an excellent choice for my courses." --Melisa Klimaszewski, Drake University
About the Author
Bessie Head, one of Africa's best known writers, was born in South Africa but spent much of her life in Botswana. She died tragically early, in 1986, leaving behind her a fine collection of literary works. Tales of Tenderness and Power was the first of her works to be published after her death, and another anthology, A Woman Alone, has also been published posthumously. Both these titles reinforce Bessie Head's literary achievements, already evident in her novels Maru, When Rain clouds Gather, The Cardinals, A Collector of Treasures, A Question of Power, and her historical account Serowe: Village of the Rain Wind, which are all available in the Heinemann African Writer Series.
Most helpful customer reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
A compelling look at life in rural Botswana
By Michael J. Mazza
"When Rain Clouds Gather," the novel by Bessie Head, tells the story of a black South African refugee named Makhayo. He crosses the border into Botswana and becomes part of the village of Golema Mundi, whose members are experimenting with new agricultural methods under the tutelage of a white Englishman named Gilbert Balfour. Makhaya quickly becomes entwined in the political and social lives of Gilbert and the villagers.
This book offers a fascinating look at rural African life. Head's topics include social and political change, conflict between science and traditional ways, tribalism, the role of traditional African chiefs, religion, race relations, and male-female relations.
Overall, a compelling story. The author bio at the beginning of the book notes that Head was herself born in South Africa and eventually was granted Botswanan citizenship. For a good companion text to this novel, try "the Villagers," by Jorge Icaza.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
an awesome story
By Margarite Nathe
When Rain Clouds Gather is just a wonderful tale. I found myself unable to put it down simply because the narrative itself is fascinating. Perhaps this is because I was reading about a place I know very little about and a culture that is still a mystery to me. After reading it, I was left more curious about Bessie Head as a person than anything else and the place from whence she came. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is curious about a people unlike any other, described by a woman who's been there and lived inside the story.
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful.
Political Menaing of Private Lives
By A Customer
"When Rain Clouds Gather" plot set is in Botswana in the 1960s, a country ridden with poverty and "primitive" agriculture, that is going through a process of independence from Britain. As a mirror view, we have independent South Africa - racist, violent and oppressive to the black population.
After serving time in prison, Fleeing the violence and oppression of South Africa in the mid-1960s, Makhaya crosses the border into Botswana. Here he finds himself in a poverty-stricken rural village - He moves to a rural town named Golema Mmidi ("to grow crops") and finds it populated with people who, like himself, are seeking a better life. Golama Mmidi is a place very different from his native Johannesburg. It is a time of great change for Botswana, as the country approaches independence.
Along with an idealistic English agriculturist, Balfour, Makhaya becomes involved in the villagers' struggle to adopt new agricultural techniques. In doing so, the community must overcome rigid customs, a corrupt local chief, and the unrelenting climate. Makhaya must struggle too against the bitterness and hatred within him that are a legacy of his life in South Africa.
This book has several layers of interesting political meanings. The plot of the book is not "political" per-se - the story is about the private lives of a private person, who happens to be a political activist and a political exile.
Moreover, it is strongly affected by Bessie Head's private life: Bessie Head was born in South Africa in 1937, the result of an 'illicit' union between a black man and a white woman. Her life was a traumatic one, and she drew heavily upon her own experiences for her novels. Unsuccessful marriage and her involvement in the trial of a friend led her to apply for a teaching post in Botswana, where she took up permanent exile. She greatly resisted attempts to categorize her writing as "African" or "feminist". Her work is highly individualized, rather than political, and defies this type of classification as a result.
On the other hand, we can't avoid the political. This book deals with several political issues. First, and foremost, Apartheid. The apartheid system in South Africa is firmly in place. It is a massive system of legalized segregation, repression, and domination by the white minority--first British and then later Afrikaaner. Long before the system was enacted formally - following the 1948 elections with the passage by the new Afrikaner government of increasingly restrictive and repressive legislation - the Blacks (and other "coloured" people) suffered unofficial discrimination.
During the early 1960s, opposition against Apartheid among Blacks and few Whites begins to show its first buds. The political activity of the opposition parties (Mandela's African National Congress and the Pan-African Congress) was banned in 1961. After political activism failed, the ANC formed a military wing to begin armed resistance. Two years later, Mandela was imprisoned. He was not released for 28 years (Mandela was later the first president of the new, post-Apartheid, South Africa). Violence drew more repression, that drew more resistance. Several events were specifically notable (the Sharpeville massacre, 1960; the Soweto uprisings in 1976). This is this novel's South Africa.
Another political issue is post-colonial Botswana. Botswana became independent in 1966 in a relatively peaceful way (compared to its neighbours, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, or northern Kenya) . Botswana was less changed by colonialism, mostly because it had fewer White settlers. The stakes for the whites were not so high, therefore, and the governing system had not been so disruptive as in other colonies.
Head is writing a period of transition, just before independence. There's an internal debate over whom should take power in the post-colonial period, and what kind of system should be adopted. The rivals are a conservative government (which eventually won the elections) and a Pan Africanist, socialist movement. A third political power, is of course, the traditional power. It is interesting to note, in this context, that weak and poor Botswana had been democratic throughout all of it's independence, since the mid-60, unlike most other African countries and especially neighbouring, strong, South Africa.
The people of Golema Mmidi seem determined to build their own kind of community--to shape their own politics--free from tribal, national, or international forces. However, other issues this book deals with are the status of women in Africa, tradition and religion vs. change and change in political power - from chiefdom (that protects from above like the colonial power) to independence (in mind, but also in government). I highly recommend this novel, to learn about a period.
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