This searingly honest memoir describes growing up on an African farm during the Rhodesian Bush War and the twilight years of white colonialism in the 1970s. It also explores the shock yet euphoria of Zimbabwean independence in the 1980s as St John navigates her way through the immense personal and political changes. The abundance and beauty of Africa and its people, as well as childhood innocence, are superbly contrasted with the insidiousness of racism, war and nationalist propaganda to create an unforgettable read - eloquent, affecting and utterly spellbinding.