Cover Image: The Old Drift

The Old Drift

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

DNF @ 15 percent. I love a multigenerational saga, but so far I've only been reading about Italian and English colonizers (and I know they are likely written to be infuriating on purpose, but gosh are they infuriating), and I wanted to read about a Zambian family. I kept thinking, "Just a little more and we'll get there," but this is a long book and I think it's time to move on to something that will (hopefully) engage me more.

Was this review helpful?

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

What an impressive attempt at a debut novel! This book is big - 576 pages - and the scope is wide. Spanning three generations in Zambia, I had a hard time connecting to this one. The writing was disjointed to me; I often times found myself confused. Another thing that made it hard for me to understand were the elements of magical realism. This may be a personal problem, but sometimes those aspects work for me, but oftentimes, they don't. In all honesty, I ended up DNFing this one when I realized I wasn't connected to the story at all.

Was this review helpful?

The Old Drift is a beautiful epic, full of magical realism, interesting characters, and complicated relationships. While it will surely make many "diversity" lists, the fact is that this book is a wonderful story in its own right and shouldn't be relegated to the margins. I loved this book and have featured it in numerous book talks at my library.

Was this review helpful?

Multi-generational saga, thick book, dense, and you have to take your time with it. It's not an easy read but your investment will be rewarded because you will be changed by this story. At least, I hope you will. Be grateful to be allowed into these lives, into these characters, and reckon with the effects of colonization.

Was this review helpful?

Some novels are almost impossible to summarize in a few paragraphs, and this is one of them. After a conventional opening chapter, the remainder of the book is largely experimental literary narrative, complete with magic realism and even futuristic fiction.

The opening sets the scene in the early 20th century when Percy Clark, a white pioneer of what was Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), takes up residence at a drift (ford) on the Zambezi River. While he is deluded due to fever, he accidentally pulls out the hair of an Italian waiter at the nearby Victoria Falls Hotel. This propels us into a second chapter, which is a knotty tangle in more ways than one, and features Sibilla, who is covered in hair that never stops growing. And then we leap forward to Agnes, a blind white woman in love with an African academic at a time when such an interracial union would have been fraught with many problems, practical as well as social, and it fails to be convincing in any way. Another chapter takes us into the realms of outer space and, weird as it seems, would have been inspired by real plans in the 1960s for Zambian astronauts.

Knowledge of the country’s origins and politics will help one to appreciate certain real-life individuals, facts and expressions of language, but if you know little about Zambia and are hoping for a cross-cultural family saga that might enlighten you as to its character and development over the past century, you won’t find it here. Also, with chapters that are linked by a buzzing commentary from a swarm of mosquitoes, any historical anachronisms hardly matter.

Not for everyone, but if you are prepared for a lengthy and innovative reading challenge you may find this an interesting experience.

Was this review helpful?

First, I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I would rate this a 4/5.
Weaving together over a century of connected individuals, the author took on a great challenge. I think the challenge was won. Each story was uniquely interesting and had complex characters. None of the characters felt re-used or like shadows of another. I read this book over a period of a few weeks, and I suspect that if I'd spent more attention on it in a shorter time, more of the big, connecting themes would have come out. What I really found compelling is the multiple viewpoints of a single person. To one, a character could be a hero, to another a villain, and both viewpoints are convincing. I also liked that the science described seemed familiar and true to the author. Either the author is a scientist or did some thorough research. Overall, this is a good read with impressive story-telling.

Was this review helpful?

A complicated, substantial, multi-generational journey with fascinating characters and the vibrant, flowing heartbeat of Zambia itself. Debut novelist Serpell has a knack for crafting unique characters and stunning descriptions of place. Four stars only because of the somewhat slow pace of the first section, but well worth the read for the page-turning rest of the novel! Full review on BookBrowse.

Was this review helpful?

DNF. This is a sprawling multigenerational novel that is told in short story format. Not being a fan of that type of storytelling it became too cumbersome and disjointed to finish. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This is my favorite book of 2019. The perfect combo of Allende and Marlon Janes! I adored this book and I can’t wait to read more by the author. An incredible work!

Was this review helpful?

About multiple generations of three families whose lives intersect intimately eventually through colonial times into Zambian independence, and eventually into the future of technological warfare, this book did a lot of things. There was the generational component, as mentioned above, and this included Black Zambians, coloured Zambians, and European immigrants. The book had elements of magical realism. It had contemporary reflections on neocolonialism and medical experimentation on Black bodies. And it looked into the future of what dictatorial politics in a warming climate means for everyday people. All great material. But! I think it was too much material for one book, even an enormous one, which for me, meant that things didn’t go deep enough, and I didn’t feel enough for any of the storylines. I had a hard time keeping track of everyone, which I don’t think was helped by the book just casually disregarding characters, some of whom showed up again, but many of whom kind of just died or only got mentioned in passing later - the book was so youth-centric, once characters got old they kind of just faded away. I really didn’t take to anyone, and I had a hard time feeling any actual relationships of kin in a meaningful way. The intro to the first generation of characters was protracted, but unnecessarily I think - like the magical realism pieces - why? And then to have these characters just peter out. I think that the contemporary pieces around HIV/AIDS, and even some of the speculative components of the near future were stronger, that was the best for me. But I had lost my drive at that point, and I couldn’t, for the life of me, see why we had to start with older generations. They felt like separate stories, and I was lost expecting one thing and getting another. Start with the now I think, and provide a bit of family background, but don’t start before the logical beginning, especially at the cost of rushing the end. This was too many books in one for me. Thanks @netgalley for the arc, opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a masterpiece. It is ambitious, starting at the days of the first British entry into Zambia and ending with a revolutionary movement in the future, and covering multiple generations of multiple families. It is fiercely political yet it never looses its sense of intimacy, or wonder. The author's ability to capture a sense of place is wonderful. Her Zambia is alive and vivid, and she dives into its beauty and its ugliness without celebrating or judging either aspect. I can not recommend it highly enough.

Was this review helpful?

The Old Drift is an enormous undertaking. It's the interwoven stories of four generations of three families; one black, one brown and one white spanning approximately one hundred years. Although very well written, it took me a while to get into this book due to its multitude of characters. The book is long but worth the investment. I look forward to reading more from This author. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

As a debut novel The Old Drift is quite extraordinary. It’s aim seems high and, to my eye, it meets what are its likely goals. This is a tale of Zambia, a combination of historical fiction, with smatterings of historical moments, mythical episodes and characters bordering on, but not quite, fantasy, and elements of science fiction as the story ends in the near future. It opens in colonial times and Stanley Livingstone is introduced early on as Victoria Falls becomes a major feature during the subjugation of the people and natural world of the country.

There are three families that will be followed over a century. Their members vary in color and initial nationality but Zambia becomes the center for each of their families. The novel progresses in a semi-linear fashion, moving between families and generations as we see connections made at unexpected levels. And breaking up these chapters at intervals is a chorus, an unusual group of native commentators who know the land and people well. The chorus is a swarm, a cloud of mosquitoes given voice....and they are eloquent about their role, their place in man’s world.

The novel covers major events through these extended families lives.The early part of this novel was a solid 5 for me. I had a little difficulty as the youngest generation continued with their patois and jargon. At the same time the sci fi elements were interesting and fit with much that we see in the world today. This is a novel where all of the pieces come together with a reader’s patience.

Probably a 4.5* rating for me.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The Old Drift is an ambitious attempt to tell the story of Zambia. In many ways, this author succeeds, pulling together disparate narratives from the countries colonial past to the near future. She brings together the lives of Italian and British families who put down routes in then Northern Rhodesia and braids them together with the lives of families who have claimed the land around the falls and the river as their own all along. However stunning a debut this is, there was no doubt that it is a debut and, like so many things in life, stumbles its way to the conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

The Old Drift is riveting. Very rarely does a book this huge and filled with magical realism, and history not sink under the weight of its heft and ambition. The Old Drift does not do this. Instead it roils like the Zambezi river and flows as the reader is captivated by its beauty. The stories are intertwined and rich with imagination. An amazing read! Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

This book was absolutely NOT for me. At all.
First, it is told in short story form; each chapter being a different story with a different family, starting with "The Grandmothers". By the time you get to section 2, you have forgotten who belongs to whom and that just continues as the story progresses. And by the time you get to the [VERY unsatisfying] end, you just forget who everyone is and just what the story is all about. And you end the story very very confused and are left with a million questions.

There are parts of this book that are good - Sibilla's story is by far my favorite, but we rarely return to her and that is disappointing. She is very intriguing character and I would have loved to read more about her and her story.

There are many villains in this story and not all of them are the white men that invaded Africa and tried to make it their own [there is a LOT of Colonialism in this book and those are parts that were infuriating to me - the sheer audacity of the white man to try and conquer that untamed land; when I was not bored with the multiple story-lines and the sheer number of people to try and keep track of, I was so angry at how horrible the native people were being treated] and after awhile, you just do not know who you are supposed to like and be rooting for and who is the bad man/woman in the story. And the ending leaves A LOT to be desired. Ugh.

In the end, I didn't like this book - it felt like torture to have to read it every day [one chapter a day was all I could handle and sometimes I had to skip a day because I just didn't care enough to read it and had other things I liked more to read] and with so many characters to try and keep track of, I didn't connect with any of them and lost interest early on in all of them. And I couldn't even be happy that the book ended because the ending was so lame and unsatisfying that I was just more frustrated and bewildered than anything else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing/Hogarth for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Epic in style, scope and material, The Old Drift presents Zambia, and by extension, the effects of colonization versus native population and personality. Each of the characters rings true, and some are actually based on actual people, but Namwali Serpell has done a masterwork for her debut novel. The writing is lush, the imagery sensual with much attention given to sensory effect and strong characterization that delineates the large cast. Highly recommended despite its huge size.

Was this review helpful?

What an epic adventure! The Old drift by Namwali Serpell pulls you from page one. This debut novel starts out as historical fiction set in Zambia 1904 with British explorers trying to tame the wilds of Africa, then slides into magical realism. Following nine main characters this multi-generation family saga concerned me on how complicated the read would be, but the family tree in the front of the book has been helpful to keep track of who is related to whom. Serpell is a brilliant writer and I can't wait to see what she gives us next. Thank you Netgalley, Crown Publishing and Hogarth Press for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars
<b>The Old Drift</b> is a prodigious undertaking both in scope and time span. Set in Rhodesia/Zambia from 1903 to 2023, <b>The Old Drift</b> starts off as a historical fiction and ends as a futuristic parable. It is a generational tale that is as much about what makes a nation as what makes a family.

In this debut novel Serpell addresses colorism, class differences, gender politics and revolution. She draws the reader's attention to the meek and disenfranchised while questioning the definition of progress. The narration is punctuated by poems told by a chorus of pests that correlate to the different time frames. Starting with colonialism (the mosquito/malaria), merging into capitalism (HIV/AIDS) and eventually ending with consumerism (drones), these pests serve as a metaphor for the human parasite. Cannabilizing the land from within, the colonist displaces the native, the capitalist mines the land of its natural resources and the consumer alters the environment.

Although cleverly written, it took me a while to get into this book due to its many characters and elliptical nature. Not until about the halfway point did I firmly have the connections in place. At first I was frustrated by the organization of the book, my interest level waxing and waning between chapters. But when I reached the end and realized that this "Archimedean spiral" was intentional on Serpell's part, I had to applaud her for carrying out this feat. I am glad that I stuck with this book and can see why <b>The Old Drift</b> is getting so much critical acclaim. The writing was exquisite, the reader is left with razor sharp focus and portentous warning for our times.

<i>Special thanks to First to Read, NetGalley, Crown Publishing and the author Namwalli Serpell for access to this work of fiction.</i>

Was this review helpful?