When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head
Summary (from the publisher): The poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, in the heart of rural Botswana, offers a haven to the exiles gathered there. Makhaya, a political refugee from South Africa, becomes involved with an English agricultural expert and the villagers as they struggle to upgrade their traditional farming methods with modern techniques. The pressures of tradition, the opposition of the local chief, and, above all, the harsh climate threaten to bring tragedy to the community, but strangely, there remains a hope for the future. Review: At first, this novel seems slow, but it builds into such a beautiful depiction of a village jointly struggling and suffering through a severe drought. This feels like it follows the community, as its focus shifts around from different characters including the English agricultural expert, a political refugee, the local chief, and a widow with two children. The village is working to upgrade their traditional farming meth...
