Read More: When A Crocodile Eats the Sun

I just finished When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin. Kristin originally picked out this book from the library. After her good review I decided to give it a try. I was positive that she already wrote her review on the blog, but can't find it! Well, anyway I was not nearly as impressed.

It's another white African memoir. Boy grows up a privileged white, thinking because he was born in Zimbabwe he is a true African. He never lacks for food, he is given an education and sent to study abroad, he lounges by a pool, he has a maid, a gardener, a nanny... He may have been born in Africa but he most definitely has no idea how it feels to live like the majority of his countrymen. Then Mugabe comes along and sends the country to hell, demonizing the white people as he does it. His family's status drops drastically and they are in constant danger. For the first time he gets to feel what it is like to be a true Zimbabwean, but he doesn't seem to notice that hey, I'm still living a better life than everyone else! They may have a hard time finding food and gas, but they DO still have food and a car they are able to replace twice after being stolen. He doesn't worry much about the idea that if he feels this bad off, the rest of Zimbabwe is still fairing a whole hell of a lot worse.

But aside from that I didn't think the writing was at all good. Boring. Somehow passionless when it's obvious he wrote this memoir because it's something he feels very passionate about! Dry. He tried to force himself to throw in some humor here and there, but it just fell flat. I don't believe I'm better off for reading this book as I've read numerous memoirs in the same vein and the writing wasn't enjoyable enough to make me forget it.

- Megan Leigh

Wow! Megan is really giving it to poor Peter Godwin here. I really disagree with her review. I thought it was very well-written (unlike a lot of memoirs), and just because he did have a rather privileged childhood doesn't mean his experience isn't worth sharing. If people with privileged childhoods weren't allowed to write memoirs, there would be like two or three books in the whole genre! And throughout the book, I think Godwin made the point that as devastating as Mugabe's policies were for white farmers, they affect the historically poor and powerless the most. Megan is just a strident Marxist who is unable to appreciate fine literature.

Plus, I think this is a story that both Meg and I will be able to relate to very soon. Your parents are growing old in a violent, anarchic place, far from where you live, so that you are powerless to help them... They refuse to move, for reasons you can't comprehend... doesn't it all sound familiar?! Yes, I am talking about Webster Groves.

-Kristin