The Horns

A compelling and deeply personal account of being born into what was first Southern Rhodesia, then Rhodesia and now Zimbabwe.

Jill Baker grew up as a white girl, whose best childhood playmates were three black boys. The story grows through intriguing snapshots into the lives of each of the four characters until, as teenagers, the group meets again ... this time, in the desolate historical sites of Matebeleland to discover, discuss, argue and, from their now diverse and singular perspectives, try to find answers for the future, by making sense of their country's history.

The Horns brings to life the early history of Matabeleland and Southern Rhodesia through the increasingly divergent paths of four childhood friends. Jabu, son of an eminent Ndebele Chief; Themba discovering his Tswana past as a slave to the Ndebele; Prune, his mother dying in childbirth and his adoption by the clinic nurse and orderly; Carol, daughter of a Native Commissioner in Nyamandhlovu - all of them living in the heartland of Matebele history.