Hope Is Our Only Wing

Set in Zimbabwe, Rutendo Tavengerwei’s unforgettable novel offers a beautiful and honest look at adolescence, friendship, and the capacity for courage.
 
For fifteen-year-old Shamiso, hope is nothing but a leap into darkness. Grief-stricken and confused after her father’s mysterious death in a car crash, Shamiso moves with her mother from England to Zimbabwe in order to pick up the pieces—returning to an extended family and a world she hardly remembers. For Tanyaradzwa, a classmate whose life has been turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis, hope is the only reason to keep fighting. As an unexpected friendship blossoms between them and the two girls navigate the increasingly uncertain political situation in Zimbabwe, Tanyaradzwa helps Shamiso confront her fear of loss.

Rutendo Nomsa Tavengerwei grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa to study law. One of her greatest influences in writing remains her father, who tutored her from the age of nine, teaching her how to write and how to play around with language when telling a story. Rutendo currently works and lives in Geneva, Switzerland. Hope Is Our Only Wing is her debut novel.