By Andrew Chatora
Inside Harare Alcatraz and Other Short Stories is a collection of 11 short stories that touch on serious topics which seem to appear in all of Chatora’s works. Having read all of Chatora’s published books, his passion for social justice is evident in each story and through each character. The book is woven together in a way that highlights the richness and resilience of the Zimbabwean people, those within and in the diaspora. It also highlights the vileness of those in power who are at the helm of political unrest, extreme levels of violence and prejudice.
It is quite a heavy collection and Chatora takes the time to explore each topic in a very vivid way.
I find him brave, tackling pressing issues in Zimbabwe, especially in the first story Exploits of an Inside Man. Which I found a bit too close to home and comfort, considering the names, scenario and the characters resembled real people who have been in the same situation. We see the main character in the story, Brezhnev a Russian spy, conspiring with the government to eliminate two journalists who are exposing the government of corruption. Chatora shed light on how everything is systematically aligned to bring any opposition down and to keep those in power unscathed.
In Why Don’t You Use Shona Names?, we hear different voices from different ethnicities, giving insight into what and how it is like to be treated as a second-class citizen in the UK based on your name. With the racial riots currently taking place across the United Kingdom, we can see that Chatora’s stories are not far-fetched and quite realistic. The fears that immigrants in the diaspora live with on a day-to-day basis have proven not to be imagined or exaggerated but a matter of life and death. In the story Hidden Lives, we see a young woman who is pushed into a life of servitude when her father ill-treats her. She becomes the concubine of her landlord who is in an open marriage and falls victim to their lifestyle. We see how domestic workers are exploited for sex or labour. In this story, Patina falls victim to a crime of passion.
Chatora has a way of shedding light on filial bonds, which is a recurring theme in all his books. In this anthology, he writes about how a child’s upbringing or lack of is a major factor in how they turn out. We see this in A Snap Decision where the main character, Pamhidzai confesses to murdering her mother’s boyfriend. In Estelle, the Shebeen Queen and Other Dangamvura Vignettes, where a young boy’s lack of guidance and stubbornness leads to his death.
I found the stories and style of writing quite nostalgic as it shows how much Chatora yearns for home, in the locations, names of characters and situations. I have come to accept that I am not the intended market for Chatora’s description of sex. I find it very matter-of-fact, lacking passion and quite uncomfortable to read. I also struggled with how he writes about women, they all seem to hate men or always struggling. I understand characters are flawed and writers have the freedom to write their characters as they come to them, but I hope he learns more about writing women who are third dimensional.
I highly recommend the book to anyone who likes politics, historical fiction and serious topics.
This article was written by Rudo Manyere, Author and African Lit Reviewer. You can find her other reviews on YouTube: What’s Rudo Reading?