NoVioletBulawayo's debut novel is a deeply and freshly cut storythat excites and startles at the same time. It iscontemporary in temper and like many other African novels iscommitted to drawing attention to the myriad troublesbesetting Africa in contemporary times. It is in two parts:the first part explores Darling's and her friends’ lives ofpoverty and hardship in Paradise (Africa) due to colonialinvasion. The destruction of their former system affectsevery family such that the children become guava hunters ina forbidden area (Budapest, white settlement). Hungeremboldens them and they regularly trespass into the whitearea in search of food (guava). The harsh experiences ofbeing forced to cater for themselves at a tender age andabject poverty push the children to always dream of escapingto other countries. Somebody like Darling does not have theprotection and love of either of her parents. Her Fatherabandons them: ‘Now Father is in South Africa, working, buthe never writes, never sends us money never nothing. Itmakes me angry thinking about him so most of the time I justpretend he doesn't exist; it's better this way’ (22-3). Hermother on the other hand is so busy with trading and herselfthat Darling is left to the care of her not-lovinggrandmother. Darling's only true family is her circle offriends. This explains her always feeling out of place,inadequate and sad whenever circumstances force her to beaway from them. An instance of her frustration is seen whenher sick Father returns from South Africa, and she is forcedto not only stay away from them, but to lie to them in orderto prevent the fact that her Father has HIV from spreadingin the vicinity. ‘It's not the lying itself that makes mefeel bad but the fact that I'm here lying to my friends. Idon't like not playing with them because they are the mostimportant thing to me and when I'm not with them I feel likeI'm not even me’ (94).

In the secondpart of the novel which is set in America, the text exploresthe different world views that will appear strange inDarling's country and culture but are very acceptable inAmerica.