Rainbow's End, by Lauren St John (Hamish Hamilton, Ł17.99)

Told through the eyes of a child growing up in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia then) in the 1970's, Lauren St John's autobiographical account is about extremes.

On the one hand, we have the beauty of Africa, the freedom of a white childhood on an idyllic farm with wildlife and privilege all around.
On the other, we have the impact of war, terror and ever-present fear which shape and limit her childhood experience.

And through the intertwining of these perspectives , St John increasingly questions everything she has been told about race, hierarchy and birthright.

The vividness and directness of this book capture the essence of the Zimbabwe conundrum.