Harare Review of Books

128 pages.

First published in 2021.

Finished reading on June 17, 2021.

Genre: Fiction.

On the day that Minister Peters boards a train from South Carolina heading north, he has nothing left but ghosts: the ghost of his murdered wife, the ghost of his drowned daughter, the ghosts of his father and his grandmother and the people who disappeared from his town without trace or explanation.

In the cramped car, Minister finds himself in close quarters with three passengers also joining the exodus from the South—people seeking a new life, whose motives, declared or otherwise, will change Minister’s life with devastating consequences.

A beautifully written book with an unexpected plot, and lots of heartache. I feel like I could sit with its ideas for a while and see aspects of the story differently.

Mild spoilers: Minister Peters (that’s his name) undergoes a transformation during this journey that feels like his finding a kind of freedom, and also/or the breaking of a dam in him. The physical journey is also beautifully described, with magical/fantastical elements around the brutal reality of life at that time. The characters are stupendous, and one in particular is really quite horrifyingly and joyously so, acting much more erratically than all of the other erratic characters.

Mostly, just very beautiful writing. Pretty clear I loved this book, and if I got a little impatient with it, it’s because I didn’t take my time with it. Recommend reading it like it’s a play.

Rated: 8/10. Very memorable and original (and, also, I like trains).