Tea, Scones, and Malaria: A Memoir of Growing Up in Africa traces one girl’s unforgettable childhood in the remote bushveld of 1950s and 60s Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. Moving from one makeshift camp to another as her father builds bridges for the government, she comes of age in the middle of elephant and cheetah country.
Life in the bush means running barefoot among thorn trees, swimming in crocodile-infested rivers, and sharing rough camps with snakes, scorpions, and mysterious night creatures. With no electricity, hospitals, or schools, survival is never guaranteed, and every day brings new risks and discoveries.
Both hilarious and deeply affecting, this memoir captures the raw edges of a childhood lived far from cities and conventions. It follows the author’s journey from carefree child to thoughtful teenager to young woman, all against the backdrop of a country undergoing a turbulent transformation from colonial Rhodesia to independent Zimbabwe.
Readers who enjoy immersive memoirs, African history, and stories of resilience will find a vivid portrait of a vanishing world and the people who called it home.
- Vibrant first-hand account of bush life in mid-20th-century Africa
- Blends humour, danger, and emotional honesty
- Set during Rhodesia’s transition toward modern Zimbabwe
