The hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu
The hairdresser of Harare is a story about. .. ..well a hairdresser in a hair salon in Harare, Zimbabwe; but not only that, it is also a story that navigates the socio-economic and political dynamics of Zimbabwe set in the hyper-inflatory era of 2008.
It’s strange reading this book 10 years later from when it’s set and seeing how things have changed and yet stayed the same.
The Hairdresser of Harare is peppered with colourful characters whom you experience from the perspective of the main character Vimbai who reigns like a queen in MaKhumalo’s Hair Salon, until a position for a new hair dresser opens up and Dumi enters the picture then everything gets tangled up into an unlikely love story……..
I loved how the book captures the duplicitous nature of society having one set of standards other people expected to live up to and another for yourself, mixed together with the judgement, through whose glasses we peer at the world…….
Chapters in the book end with a predictive statement which is a highlight of what comes next, at first I found it interesting but after a couple of chapters; it stops being cute as it felt at times like a spoiler; the way it forced me to start anticipating the story, aspects of it wound up disappointing compared to how I imagined would unfold, and how it took away the element of surprise as you already have been primed to see it coming and you justing wait for the other shoe to drop……
The book is easy to read although it has a few colloquial phrases and slang words in the Shona language which are relatable to Zimbabweans but jarring for non-Shona readers and without a glossary at the end, well you simply have to figure out from the context of the italicized words that this is probably a greeting or better yet make friends with someone who speaks the language……. I can be your friend 😂 😉
~B
Becoming The Muse 
😂 did I say thank you for being the friend that helped me understand the Shona.
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I am sure you did but I could here you say it again 😍
~B
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Thank you darling 😍😍
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It’s a shame there isn’t a glossary, I love finding words indifferent languages and comparing them to others, it’s a big part of the fun in books. I’m going to have a look for it regardless because it just sounds intriguing
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You can always hit me up, I’d be happy to define the words for you!!!
~B
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I shall take you up on that happily!
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Just an update – I’ve ordered it and will let you know what I think!
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Awesome!!! I’ll be over here
*waves*
~B
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Straight to my TBR list. Nice review.
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Is it still stuck on a TBR ?
~B
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Another update. I’ve just finished this book. I absolutely loved it. I’m m so glad you reviewed it! I didn’t find the different dialect hard, the meaning was clear and it added to the realness. I know I’ll be starting it again at the beginning within a couple of weeks because I don’t feel ready for it to be over.
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It has easy going style and captures a certain realness in it, you fall in love with the characters without even realising it.
Am glad you loved it!!!!
~B
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Yes you really do, they’ve taken up residence in my head!
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I really enjoyed reading this book and indeed nothing had changed.
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