In this semi-autobiographical novel, Head tracks the protagonist Elizabeth's struggle to emerge from the oppressive social situation in which she finds herself, and from the nightmares and hallucinations that torment her. Elizabeth, like the author, was conceived in an out-of-wedlock union between a[...]
Expanded and updated collection of short stories using Head's 'Tales of Tenderness and Power' as a basis.[...]
A collection of short stories based on life in a Botswanan village, including the story of a woman who murders the husband who deserted her years before.[...]
The poverty-stricken village of Golema Mmidi, in the heart of rural Botswana, offers a haven to the exiles gathered there.[...]
Maru is the moving tale of an orphaned Masarwa girl who goes to teach in a remote village in Botswana where her own people are kept as slaves. Her presence polarises a community which does not see Masarwa people as human, and condemns her to the lonely life of an outcast. Bessie Head wa[...]
When Rainclouds Gather: Escaping South Africa and his troubled past, Makehaya crosses the border to Botswana, in the hope of leading a peaceful, purposeful life. In the village of Golema Mmidi he meets Gilbert, a charismatic Englishman who is trying to modernise farming methods to benefit the commun[...]