THE HORNS: ZAMBEZI TRILOGY: BOOK ONE

New edition September 2020. A deeply personal account of being born into what was first Southern Rhodesia, then Rhodesia. Jill Baker grew up as a white child whose best playmates, until she went to school, were three amaNdebele children. The paths each of their lives took could not have been more divergent. THE HORNS is founded on careful historical research into the valuable, but scarce, generational Matebele and Mashona oral histories; the vastly differing and biased accounts from early missionaries, pioneers, hunters, miners and traders; and records from government and parliamentary archives as well as the British South Africa Company. The historical skeleton holds this story firmly in place. What is fictional is for the author to know - and for you the reader to guess! The Horns is presented as storytelling - oral storytelling - as practised in the passing on of oral history in African culture, sometimes indulging in the nostalgic prose of cherished memories, sometimes in the practical narration of the observations of young children making mud cattle, the terror of a teenager in acute distress, or the wise words of experience and learning from an older generation. RESPONSES: "What I have heard you say tonight is reconciliation for our hurting nation." was the comment from an African member of the Harare Rotary Club in Johannesburg.READER REVIEWS hetta2 : 5/5 : The sadness of Zimbabwe :November 19, 2018 Kindle Edition Verified Purchase . . . "If you love Africa you must read this - beautifully written from personal experience and historically accurate. The author was born and grew up in Southern Rhodesia with a keen eye for the nuances of the time -thorough research revealing such facts as Cecil Rhodes was a mentor to the Africans and they wanted to work for himI look forward to books 2 and 3"The Horns is up there with some of the best books on Africa I have read in many years. Eat your heart out Wilbur and you, Mr Ruark, look to your bushlore laurels". Martin McGhee UK"You have a gift of writing and telling the story. I have learned a lot after reading your book and in my view you have captured what I believe is a reflection of the whole history. More importantly, you were using Shona and Ndebele words appropriately. You might as well think of turning the book into a movie!" Kennedy Mavunganidze MEDIA REVIEWS Knysna and Plett Herald: 23rd August 2018 : "Author Jill Baker is currently in South Africa to promote her book the Horns, book one of the Zambezi Trilogy (Porcupine Press). The book is broad in scope and is part memoir/historical fiction set in the then Southern Rhodesia. Baker has conducted meticulous research, scanning original diary entries from the likes of Cecil John Rhodes, gold diggers, "native commissioner" reports and government archival documents. She has peppered these vignettes throughout the text which makes the book come alive. You will laugh out loud, pull out your hair in utter despair and learn a lot. Four friends meet as children and the eventual paths that their lives take could not be more divergent. Carol is the daughter of a native commissioner; Jabulani, son of a Matebele chief; Prune an adopted child of the Scottish nurse in the bush clinic, with guardianship of the African Orderly; and Themba, the son of the district assistant. A must read for anyone who has fallen in love with the precious land between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers." Dabengwa launches Jill Baker's book, The Horns News 24 : September 14th, 2018 - Mthulisi Ncube. "ZAPU leader Dr Dumiso Dabengwa over the weekend launched Jill Baker's Book titled The HORNS through his Foundation at the Bulawayo Theatre. The book chronicles the history of Matebeleland dating back from the time when king Mzilikazi left South Africa, it touches on all the historical background of King Mzilikazi as the king of Matebeleland and later His son King Lobengula. Let's spread this message about this book."