"The twenty-three stories bring to life the effects of cultural, financial and political pressures on ordinary people in rural and urban situations." "From the contemporaneity of Shimmer Chinodya's ubiquitous queues and Brian Chikwava's feisty denizens of down-town Harare, back to the tragi-comedy of Alexandra Fuller's fancy dress party in the middle of the liberation war and Freedom Nyamubaya's first memories of that struggle, through to Gugu Ndlovu's poignant recollection of a father's imprisonment, Yvonne Vera's depiction of her, grandmother and Charles Mungoshi's searing story of ambition and self-deceit." "This collection juxtaposes humour, reportage, heart-breaking images, and finely drawn perceptions, providing us with a collage that reflects Zimbabwe's rich diversity."--BOOK JACKET.