31 October 2009
book review
'Like daughter, like mother'. . . The norm appears to be that parents inspire their offspring. Seldom is it the other way round. Yvonne Vera, who died in April 2005 and was one of the most prolific writers Zimbabwe has produced, inspired many people not least her mother Ericah Gwetai.
Vera inspired her mother to pursue several things, among them to assert herself, read for her degree later in life and to seek to follow her footsteps by writing this biography.
Vera enjoyed the stories her mother told her and believed that her mother could, like the award-winning author write books too. Then the belief was that she could attempt a book of short stories.
In the beginning it was an idea. In 2003 Vera's mother asked the celebrated author if she could attempt a biography of her. As ever Vera was ecstatic. The outcome. . . Petal Thoughts, a biography based on her short life and her literary works.
This book is in three sections: The first is the story of Vera's life as told by her mother. The second is made up of memoirs contributed by her friends and colleagues from around the world, while the third section comprises a depiction of Vera's life in more than 20 pictures.
Petal Thoughts celebrates the life of a brilliant mind. It is a tribute to Vera and her love for story-telling, to which she was intensely committed. Once she started writing she did not stop until she had finished.
The reader emerges from reading this book with an enlightened understanding of Vera, images of how remarkable a person and writer Vera she was and what informed her incredibly powerful stories.
The quality of her work remains . . . a treasure she bequeathed Zimbabwe and the world, amplifying the depth of our loss after the death of this star.
Petal Thoughts: Yvonne Vera
A Biography by Ericah Gwetai
Published by Mambo Press - 178 Pages
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