The Colours That Blind is a YA novel set in Zimbabwe that follows Tumi, a fourteen year old schoolboy with albinism. We follow him as he navigates the difficulties of school and trying out for the national swim team while still dealing with the repercussions of a traumatic past event. Told in dual timelines, the novel also follows Tumi's Ambuya as a young woman in 1975 Rhodesia, when racial tensions and segregation were at their height.
This is a well-written, educational YA story that doesn't shy away from exploring difficult topics to do with Zimbabwe's past and present. It conveys the horror of white minority rule and the atrocities committed in Zimbabwe from different sides of the conflict without being too graphic, which not only makes it a great story, but also a useful educational tool for young people.
The only issue I had with the book was that I wanted more of Tumi's story, and at times wished the two perspectives to be their own separate books. I would have liked the plot to have delved further into the difficulties faced by those with albinism in Africa, but I understand why the author combined the past and present narratives. It was overall very well done, I just wanted a bit more.
That being said, although the story is simply written, readers of all ages would benefit from the novel's key messages of hope and forgiveness, and this novel has inspired me to research more on Zimbabwe's history and current events in southern Africa.
This is a well-written, educational YA story that doesn't shy away from exploring difficult topics to do with Zimbabwe's past and present. It conveys the horror of white minority rule and the atrocities committed in Zimbabwe from different sides of the conflict without being too graphic, which not only makes it a great story, but also a useful educational tool for young people.
The only issue I had with the book was that I wanted more of Tumi's story, and at times wished the two perspectives to be their own separate books. I would have liked the plot to have delved further into the difficulties faced by those with albinism in Africa, but I understand why the author combined the past and present narratives. It was overall very well done, I just wanted a bit more.
That being said, although the story is simply written, readers of all ages would benefit from the novel's key messages of hope and forgiveness, and this novel has inspired me to research more on Zimbabwe's history and current events in southern Africa.