ILOBOLA

A rolling saga of love’s thorny progress, glowingly set in late-colonial southern Africa.

The time is the mid-1960s, as the armed struggle against Africa’s settler regimes is gathering force. Though FRELIMO and ZANU and ZAPU will have an important influence on this story, Francis steers a strong course along the latitude of love. The book hinges on the star-crossed Mofola and Negome, two young Mozambicans with a profound gravitational attraction who suffer from Negome’s father being–to put it mildly–strongly against the marriage, and Mofola’s lack of ilobola, the customary bride price. Thus, Mofola must seek work in South Africa’s gold mines while Negome stays back in their small hometown, running the family store and contending with her drunken wastrel of a father. Though Francis’ writing can be wordy and congested–“I had to come to see you and explain why I have not seen you”–much of the time his narrative has a relaxed, fireside style. If his characters are somewhat one-dimensional, the aspect they expose is affecting. Still, the author is a strong writer. He knows how to frame a scene, as in the showdown poker game with Negome’s father or detailing the construction of an elephant trap. Francis has a touch for description–witness his talent in painting the flyblown, crossroads town where Negome and Mofola live. He keeps politics at a simmer throughout, from the settler governments of South Africa and Mozambique colluding in stealing the wages of the migrant labor force to the nasty, racist acts committed in the dying embers of colonialism. The author also produces moments of powerful ethical suasion–Mofola’s dying father poking ill-gotten gains into the fire will draw readers up short just as they are rejoicing in Mofola’s good fortune, and the murder of an adulterer causes a distinct lack of sympathy.

Love, politics and family gratifyingly meshed together.