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The Old Drift

By Namwali Serpell
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell is a multi-generational saga that unfolds in Zambia, intertwining the lives of three families of different racial backgrounds. The narrative spans over a century, weaving together historical events and futuristic science fiction elements. It explores themes of identity, colonialism, and human interconnectedness, offering a portrait of a nation and its people through a rich tapestry of interconnected stories.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy sweeping narratives that interweave historical and speculative fiction, exploring themes of family, colonialism, and identity. It provides a rich tapestry of intergenerational stories set in Zambia, blending magical realism with intricate character development for a captivating reading experience. If you like books that transport you through time and place with deeply layered storytelling, you will find this a rewarding journey.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

An electrifying debut from the winner of the 2015 Caine Prize for African writing, The Old Drift is the Great Zambian Novel you didn't know you were waiting for and the launch of a thrilling new talent.

Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2020

'The great African novel of the twenty-first century' โ€” Tade Thompson, author of Rosewater

On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift.

In 1904, in a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles his fate with those of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy.

So begins a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond.

'Extraordinary, ambitious, evocative, dazzling' โ€” Salman Rushdie

'Brilliant . . . heartbreaking' โ€” Sunday Times

'Charming, heartbreaking and breathtaking' โ€” Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Old Drift, praised as extraordinary and ambitious, skillfully blends historical and science fiction, with rich political and psychological elements. Reviewers commend its emotional depth, with moments of poignant beauty and a blend of humour and resilience in its character portrayals. Often described as dazzling and epic, the novel has established Namwali Serpell as a significant literary talent, noted for her intricate narrative and her ability to encapsulate a nation's ever-evolving identity with precision.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781784703998

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 March 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 393g

Pages: 576

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Namwali Serpell Penguin Books

About the Author

Namwali Serpell was born in Lusaka and lives in New York. She has received a 2020 Windham-Campbell Prize for fiction, the 2015 Caine Prize for African Writing, and a 2011 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award. Her debut novel, The Old Drift, won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for fiction, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for science fiction, and the Los Angeles Times' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction; it was named one of the 100 Notable Books of 2019 by the New York Times Book Review and one of Time Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year. Her nonfiction book, Stranger Faces, was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. Her short story, 'Take It', was a finalist for the 2020 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award. She is a Professor of English at Harvard.

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