Hope is Our Only Wing by Rutendo Tavengerwei is a capturing book set in Zimbabwe. Shamiso’s father, a journalist, recently died while their family was living in England. Shamiso’s world is turned upside down.
She moves with her mother to Zimbabwe, a foreign country with new customs and culture. As well as dealing with her grief, her mother is now struggling to make ends meet. Feeling like nothing good could ever become of her life, she meets Tanyaradzwa at her new school. Tanyaradza is a cancer patient in remission. Shamiso is unsure of Tanyaradzwa at first, but she soon finds mutual trust in Tanyaradzwa, something none of her classmates had to offer. Shamiso and Tanyaradzwa’s battles with death give way to an unexpected friendship as they help each other deal with life’s challenges.

I was completely sucked into this novel. Rutendo Tavengerwei has an amazing descriptive voice. It seemed as though I was there, in Shamiso’s world, experiencing her daily life. I was amazed at the way she crafted the story, though I did think the plot moved a little fast. It was hard to keep up with each new event. Despite this, the storyline was strong and the book was thoroughly enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction. It was also interesting to learn about life in Zimbabwe, so anyone interested in that subject could get an insightful taste, along with a great story. Hope is Our Only Wing is truly one to remember.