Before The Big Rains

The twins destiny was decided by an age-old tradition long before they were born, but it was somehow altered through the application of wisdom and intellect by human intervention. The abnormal in society was normalised by custodians of tradition and the rule of customary law, councillors, and respected village elders vested with authority and the power to decide and act. Giving the twins a lifeline and letting them live when they should have been killed without any second thought about who their father is amounted to nepotism and infringed on the right of the one whose destiny was decided in an unorthodox way. This was an unforgivable violation of an ancestral practice, a grave transgression with dire consequences which pitted brother against brother, paving a path of dark hatred, witchcraft, and ultimately, murder in the guise of darkness with no witnesses. With the chiefs wife barren, leaving the clan without a leader, the throne without an heir was apparent and the inheritance shone brighter and larger in the direction of the perpetrator. If Makgabeng was destined to be in Seras hands, then the gods had surely erred in their judgement. How could they have sacrificed Paramount Chief Thaga at the altar of conspiracy, greed, and corruption? Would Lefa live to see the day and his rightful throne?

The author describes her life, from her childhood living with a nomadic tribe in Somalia to her position as a spokesperson against female genital mutiliation.

A seductive memoir of a life-changing affair during a time of revolution as it unfolds over a decade and across three continents, surprising both lovers with the power and urgency of love.

Looking to rebuild after a painful divorce, Alexandra Fuller turns to her African past for clues to living a life fully and without fear. A child of the Rhodesian wars and daughter of 2 deeply complicated parents, Alexandra Fuller is no stranger to pain. But the disintegration of Fuller's own marriage leaves her shattered. Looking to pick up the pieces of her life, she confronts the tough questions about her past, about the American man she married, and the family she left behind in Africa. A breathtaking achievement, Leaving Before the Rains Come is a memoir of such grace and intelligence, filled with such wit and courage, that it could only have been written by Alexandra Fuller. Leaving Before the Rains Come begins with the dreadful first years of the American financial crisis when Fuller's delicate balance--between American pragmatism and African fatalism, the linchpin of her unorthodox marriage--irrevocably fails. Recalling her unusual courtship in Zambia--elephant attacks on the first date, sick with malaria on the wedding day--Fuller struggles to understand her younger self as she overcomes her current misfortunes. Fuller soon realizes that what is missing from her life is something that was always there: the brash and uncompromising ways of her father, the man who warned his daughter that "the problem with most people is that they want to be alive for as long as possible without having any idea whatsoever how to live." Fuller's father--"Tim Fuller of No Fixed Abode" as he first introduced himself to his future wife--was a man who regretted nothing and wanted less, even after fighting harder and losing more than most men could bear. Leaving Before the Rains Come showcases Fuller at the peak of her abilities, threading panoramic vistas with her deepest revelations as a fully grown woman and mother. Fuller reveals how--after spending a lifetime fearfully waiting for someone to show up and save her--she discovered that, in the end, we all simply have to save ourselves. An unforgettable book, Leaving Before the Rains Come is a story of sorrow grounded in the tragic grandeur and rueful joy only to be found in Fuller's Africa.

A romantic, heart-wrenching tale of love against the odds from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author 1930, Rajputana, India. Since her husband's death, 28-year-old photojournalist Eliza's only companion has been her camera. When the British Government send her to an Indian princely state to photograph the royal family, she's determined to make a name for herself. But when Eliza arrives at the palace she meets Jay, the Prince's handsome, brooding brother. While Eliza awakens Jay to the poverty of his people, he awakens her to the injustices of British rule. Soon Jay and Eliza find they have more in common than they think. But their families - and society - think otherwise. Eventually they will have to make a choice between doing what's expected, or following their hearts. . .