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Far From Home | Na'ima B. Robert | Zimbabwe | Frances Lincoln | 2012 | ISBN: 1847800068
Far From Home tells the story of the unique and troubling history of the country of Zimbabwe through the lens of two different young girls living 35 years apart. This dual protagonist novel begins with the story of Tariro, who is a young girl living in 1960’s pre-liberation Rhodesia. Tariro is on the brink of adulthood, preparing to marry Nhamo, until the colonial government begins land acquisitions that threaten take away her homeland and her beloved. When Nhamo is beaten and blinded for sticking up for Tariro, she vows to fight for justice and fights for many years in the “bush war” that eventually led to the liberation and renaming of Zimbabwe in 1980.
The other protagonist, Katie, represents the white, privileged world that still existed in Zimbabwe even after the “bush war” was won by the Africans. Katie lives happily on her farm, attends private school and wants for nothing. When the new leader, declares the land back to the Africans, Katie is forced to move to London, and watch her family fall apart and forget her home.
Teaching Ideas:
A. Rationale for Use in the English Classroom
Far From Home is a wonderful novel to use in an English Classroom. Point of view is often hard to teach, and using a dual protagonist novel, like this, is a great way to help students understand. This novel is particularly good, since Tariro and Katie represent two different worlds and two different viewpoints. Readers are shown how different the same story can be when told from two different points of view.
Far From Home can be used to teach all skills in an ELA classroom. The characters are well developed, rich and dynamic. The setting in vital and reinforces the idea that the setting drives the plot. The writing is well crafted, descriptive and detailed. The plot sequence flows beautifully, and the reader wonders how the two stories will tie together. The novel does not disappoint, bringing the worlds of both girls together seamlessly.
B. Before/During/After Reading Activities
Before reading, have students create a timeline of Zimbabwe history with images from 1900-2000. This book contains a significant amount of history that would need to be frontloaded for students. Many students would be confused when reading about Rhodesia and Zimbabwe if they are unaware of the country’s history. Direct students to the following website to research the history in chronological order.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14113618
During reading, students will complete a double entry journal about the following topics: (1) the Baobob tree, (2) land ownership, (3) family, and (4) race relations. On one side, students will take notes on how Tariro feels about these topics and on the other side how Katie feels. This exercise will tie into a lesson on point of view and how the same topics, can be presented in very different ways based on different points of view. Each protagonist has a unique set of experiences that shapes their views on who owns the aforementioned topics.
After reading, students will research the current political structure of Zimbabwe and add to their timeline. Students will then write a one page journal entry from the point of view of a current teenager in Zimbabwe in 2014, taking into account the current political struggles.
C. Connections to Other Content Areas
Far From Home could very easily be used in a World History or African History class as a supplemental novel. The novel is rooted deeply in history and could even be described as historical fiction. The novel presents a unique look on colonialism in Africa and offers points of view from both the colonized and the colonist. The protagonists allow the reader to understand history from those who could have been there.
Synopsis:
Far From Home tells the story of the unique and troubling history of the country of Zimbabwe through the lens of two different young girls living 35 years apart. This dual protagonist novel begins with the story of Tariro, who is a young girl living in 1960’s pre-liberation Rhodesia. Tariro is on the brink of adulthood, preparing to marry Nhamo, until the colonial government begins land acquisitions that threaten take away her homeland and her beloved. When Nhamo is beaten and blinded for sticking up for Tariro, she vows to fight for justice and fights for many years in the “bush war” that eventually led to the liberation and renaming of Zimbabwe in 1980.
The other protagonist, Katie, represents the white, privileged world that still existed in Zimbabwe even after the “bush war” was won by the Africans. Katie lives happily on her farm, attends private school and wants for nothing. When the new leader, declares the land back to the Africans, Katie is forced to move to London, and watch her family fall apart and forget her home.
Teaching Ideas:
A. Rationale for Use in the English Classroom
Far From Home is a wonderful novel to use in an English Classroom. Point of view is often hard to teach, and using a dual protagonist novel, like this, is a great way to help students understand. This novel is particularly good, since Tariro and Katie represent two different worlds and two different viewpoints. Readers are shown how different the same story can be when told from two different points of view.
Far From Home can be used to teach all skills in an ELA classroom. The characters are well developed, rich and dynamic. The setting in vital and reinforces the idea that the setting drives the plot. The writing is well crafted, descriptive and detailed. The plot sequence flows beautifully, and the reader wonders how the two stories will tie together. The novel does not disappoint, bringing the worlds of both girls together seamlessly.
B. Before/During/After Reading Activities
Before reading, have students create a timeline of Zimbabwe history with images from 1900-2000. This book contains a significant amount of history that would need to be frontloaded for students. Many students would be confused when reading about Rhodesia and Zimbabwe if they are unaware of the country’s history. Direct students to the following website to research the history in chronological order.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14113618
During reading, students will complete a double entry journal about the following topics: (1) the Baobob tree, (2) land ownership, (3) family, and (4) race relations. On one side, students will take notes on how Tariro feels about these topics and on the other side how Katie feels. This exercise will tie into a lesson on point of view and how the same topics, can be presented in very different ways based on different points of view. Each protagonist has a unique set of experiences that shapes their views on who owns the aforementioned topics.
After reading, students will research the current political structure of Zimbabwe and add to their timeline. Students will then write a one page journal entry from the point of view of a current teenager in Zimbabwe in 2014, taking into account the current political struggles.
C. Connections to Other Content Areas
Far From Home could very easily be used in a World History or African History class as a supplemental novel. The novel is rooted deeply in history and could even be described as historical fiction. The novel presents a unique look on colonialism in Africa and offers points of view from both the colonized and the colonist. The protagonists allow the reader to understand history from those who could have been there.
