Vorab-RezensentenPetina Gappah

A woman in a township in Zimbabwe is surrounded by throngs of dusty children but longs for a baby of her own; an old man finds that his new job making coffins at the No Matter Funeral Parlour brings unexpected riches; a politicians widow quietly stands at her husband's funeral watching his colleagues bury an empty casket. Petina Gappah's characters may have ordinary hopes & dreams, but they are living in a world where a loaf of bread costs half a million dollars and where people know exactly what will be printed in the newspapers because the news is always, always good.

A stunning new voice from Zimbabwe, with an unforgettable collection of powerfully moving stories. Petina Gappah is the voice of Zimbabwe. In this astonishingly powerful debut collection, she dissects with real poignancy the lives of people caught up in a situation over which they have no control, as they deal with spiralling inflation, power cuts and financial hardship – a way of life under Mugabe’s regime – and cope with issues common to all people everywhere; failed promises, disappointments and unfulfilled dreams. Compelling, unflinching and tender, An Elegy for Easterly is a defining book, and a stunning portrait of a country in chaotic meltdown. 'Petina Gappah's stories range from scathing satire of Zimbabwe's ruling Elite to earthy comedy to sensitive accounts of the sufferings of humble victims of the regime. Gappah is a fine writer and a rising star of Zimbabwean literature.' J.M. Coetzee