The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell

Set mostly in Zambia, "The Old Drift" follows the intertwined lives of three families from the early 1900s to the near future. The vast scope is grounded by detailed descriptions of specific events in the characters' lives.

This is an amazing book and it's unlike anything I've read before. The closest comparison I could make is probably a combination of Neal Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon" and Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other". Writing this now I realise I don't really know how to describe it...

I would say the main themes are race, sex, colonialism, family, and class, with a surprising bit of digital privacy near the end. Serpell blends in the science fiction elements very well, and I think those are what draws the book together.

It is long though, and a slow read too - at least it was for me. Not in a bad way, it's just that it needs proper engagement and there's no particular reason to rush on to the next bit. I found I enjoyed it more towards the end, partly because that is where the book is aimed and everything starts coming together, and partly because the characters feel more familiar as they are closest to my own generation.

The book cover is also very nice

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Callum Brown, 2021-04-22

Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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