This September Sun

Set mainly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, This September Sun tells the story of two women — Ellie, who is just trying to make sense of her life, and her grandmother, Evelyn, whom she had a really close relationship with.

Growing up in post-independent Zimbabwe, Ellie never quite fitted in and felt stifled in her hometown, longing to escape. In the hope that she would finally find what she was looking for, she moved to the UK for her undergraduate degree, only to find out that something was still missing.

While Ellie is trying to make sense of her life, we get flashbacks to her childhood in Bulawayo, the times she spent with her grandmother, as well as glimpses into what it was like being white in pre- and post-independent Zimbabwe. Ellie's life was also filled with secrets — her family's, and especially her grandmother's.

It is not until Evelyn is brutally murdered and Ellie discovers her grandmother's diaries and letters that she is able to piece together Evelyn's life. It is only then that Ellie is finally able to answer the many questions that were left unanswered, and in a way start making sense of her life.