no words to express how good this was, and how important it is that there are books like these going out in the world.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this novel!

I received a complimentary copy from Mukana Press and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Send her back is a collection of sixteen stories that touch on everything from immigration to education to growing back.. It was a story of strong women and their experiences however the stories are slow paced but relevant and necessary. We all need to read this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy of this to read and review.

This collection of 16 short stories explores the 16 different experiences of Zimbabwean women and their families. Topics include everything from immigration to education to coming of age to family pressures. But they all follow strong women learning for themselves what they want out of their lives and who they want to be.

It took me longer than expected to finish this collection. Some stories were longer than others, which is to be expected. Stand outs include one about a woman soon to become a widow and fighting for what's hers, and one where the immigration system and its many, many flaws are put under a microscope. I was unaware of the student loophole and how many hoops it causes people to jump through. I learned a lot. I did like that not all the women in the stories are likable or sympathetic.

Overall this collection was fine, but felt repetitive after a while. The majority of the stories felt very coming of age, sharing a moment in time in a woman's life rather than telling an actual story. I think the title is off-putting. That one story is one of the shorter ones and personally, I don't think it sets the tone for the rest of the stories in the book. There are a few that deal with immigration and living in the US and the struggles that come with that, but several of these take place in Zimbabwe and have nothing to do with the US or immigration.

I really really loved reading this book. A short stories of different scenarios and experiences all tied into one. Was such a beautiful read that i would definitely recommend everyone to pick up especially if you need to learn the experiences and perspectives of Africans living abroad.

This collection of short stories about Zimbabwean women shed some light on a country and culture I did not really know anything about. These are engaging stories, often sad, that show how hard emigration can be, how difficult life can be in between two cultures, how getting far away can be a step into freedom, but also into misery. Very interesting.

With her superb collection of short stories, Munashe Kaseke leaves a lasting impression. Topical and insightful, Send Her Back and Other Stories attacks race and gender stereotypes with grace and resonance. Bound to top lists of recommended diversity reads, we’re mistaken if we think Send Her Back is for an exclusive audience. In its hard-hitting stories, Kaseke creates glimpses of her protagonists’ secret lives. In her Author’s Note, she tells us she hopes we “feel seen” in her work. She is reaching out through stories of love and optimism; her only mission is to connect.
These pages barely contain their characters. They hold strong Zimbabwean women, led by their education to every corner of the United States. Whether they are braving northern blizzards or stuffy boardrooms, they survive on their determination and quick wits. New immigrants and first-generation Americans bring life into focus. Through their eyes, we see ourselves again for the first time.
If microaggressions are hard for Americans to identify, Send Her Back gives an accessible look into the mechanics. Kaseke’s stories point out foibles, pitfalls, and thoughtlessness for what it is, while giving due credit to Civil Rights Era achievements. Her Zimbabwean characters earn PhDs, rise to the top of their fields, and outsmart their rivals. Others support themselves with vigorous studies and endless work, wiring their small paychecks to far-away families who always need more. But these fierce spirits rarely break in the fight. Kaseke gives us heroes who change our hearts, entreating everyone to act with respect and care.
In the fracas of Twitter politics, hearing any voice clearly is a challenge. Trading on emotionalism and indignation, the news circuit perpetuates itself, drowning out many who have important stories to tell. Kaseke is among the authors and thinkers of our time who bring clarity. Her lead characters show us what the media misses, even when it seeks own voices. With stories that see so much in so many of us, Send Her Back holds its own against the noise.

When we say "read to improve empathy", this is the sort of book you're meant to be reading. Is it happy? No. Hopeful? Sometimes, and fleetingly so. But it is unyieldingly poignant and intentional, and certainly a book I can easily see being made required reading in a classroom.

I loved this book, although it was heartbreaking. I hate that people are treated the way they are due to ONLY the color of their skin. Send Her Back and Other Stories is a collection of stories about women who immigrate to the United States from Zimbabwe and how they are treated, not only by Americans, but also by those they left behind in their home country. Some feel they cannot go back, some feel they are taken advantage of by those they are supporting in Zimbabwe...

I WILL recommend this book to friends, but teaching 4th grade, it is a little over their abilities to understand what it is really about, the struggles that these women face in Zimbabwe and United States.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful collection of short stories all focusing on Zimbabwean woman who have immigrated to the United States. I don't usually like short stories/essay collections, but this is probably one of the best collection of short stories i've ever read. Each story was so well done and I immediately felt connected with the characters and understanding what was going on. I think it helped that there was a common theme of all the stories focusing on women and Zimbabwean immigrants that made each story easier to get into to. This book does a great job of demonstrating the struggles of being an immigrant, giving an insight into the Zimbabwe diaspora, the challenges of the US immigration system, and so much more. I'd highly recommend this book to everyone! But especially people looking for a diverse short story collection.

A collection of sixteen short stories. The short stories are beautifully crafted. One that stands out is the beautifully titled ‘Zimbabwe meets Wyoming ‘which uses contrasts to illustrate the differences in culture between the two main characters. This story has some parallel's to Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah. Another stand out is the ‘Return to the land of giant sun’ which is a poignant depiction of Africans in the diaspora and how the things that people in the homeland take for granted such as sunsets and street food are the very things that keep those in the diaspora going on winter days and long night shifts at work. ‘The collector of degrees’ is a bittersweet tale of crushed dreams and intergenerational hope that somehow things will turn out better after studying another degree, but it never does – wonderfully done. A brilliant collection of stories – I would love to read a full novel from Munashe Kaseke.

Thank you to Mukana Press and NetGalley for allowing me to review the digital ARC of Send Her Back and Other Stories

WOW this cover was eye catching and profound. This book is a compilation of powerful stories that center around African women. This book not only dives into the hard topics but sheds like on how tough immigration is.

Each story was truly beautiful written and all were equally enjoyable.. These are strong women who came to America looking for hope, but what they received was less than perfect (sad to say that Im not shocked?). There was struggle, tears, pain, love - so many emotions to process - it was emotionally draining. These women deserve as good a chance as a US born citizen.

This was a wonderful read. The characters brought to life by their struggles. At times the dry writing style was a little much for me, but I think the stories spoke for themselves.

Send Her Back by Munashe Kaseke

9780578353128

204 Pages
Publisher” Mukana Press
Release Date: July 25, 2022

Fiction, General Fiction (Adult), Multicultural Interest, Immigrants, Women’s Perspective, Own Voices

This book is comprised of sixteen short stories each told from the point of view of a Zimbabwean woman. It shows the difficulties the women must endure while living in the United States. Politics are mentioned briefly in a few stories but do not play a major role. I was struck by how strong these women were and how they were treated by the families and society. Some of these stories stayed with me even after I finished the book.

The author did an excellent job writing the stories as if each was about a real woman. If I did not know this book was fictional, I would believe the stories to be true accounts. I recommend this book to anyone interested in women’s and immigrant’s lives.

This is really an eye opening read for me. It stirs up all sorts of emotions for me. I felt humbled by all the stories, the good bit, the bad bit, some we see on the news or in the movies but often forgetting what one went through to produce such movies. This book helped me to dig deep, see the shadows casted by the characters in this book. I like the author’s note too. I will definitely recommend this book to people around me and to my local library. Many thanks Munashe Kaseke and Mukana Press for this opportunity to read the advance copy of this book on NetGalley.

Very interesting read. I really enjoyed the stories. Very thought provoking and gives one insight on how things are for other women. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Trigger warnings: Racism, misogyny, and trauma

These stories speak to the experiences of Zimbabwean women. They seek to better their life by coming to America. They face unspoken and heinous. It's as if some forget the majority of people that reside in America, it's because their ancestors were also immigrants seeking a better future. This book is amazing and hopefully it is used in High schools and college courses to teach their students the experiences and struggles of those seeking better.

Locked in immediately with the first story and staying thereafter for all the others, which offer an array of perspectives which are unique and eye opening while all linked with some common ground in approaching the immigrant experience. The people on these pages seem very real (and so do their experiences with racism here in the United States) as well as elements of misogyny. A mirror that held up shows the truth about the many unflattering realities in our country.

A beautifully written debut novel by Munashe Kaseke. It is a fast read with short stories of different immigration experiences of women from Zimbabwe. There are eye-opening stories of the different trials and tribulations women from Zimbabwe immigrate to the United States. I did not know all the different ways people could immigrate to the United States and what was involved. It is a great book and cannot wait to see if she writes more.

Thank you, Mukana Press, for the advance reading copy.

Sixteen short stories in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading each story which represents the struggles and the experiences the community representative of immigrants in the US. The stories represent the discrimination on the colour of the skin, the outer appearances, the culture and the beliefs as well as the doubts and the issues they go through almost everyday being judged and discriminated. These stories teach a lot about human nature and behaviour. And some shows pretty transparently how things haven't changed much.
Some stories are written pretty well while a few stories are a bit difficult to go through. Overall, a good collection to understand the immigrants and their present day struggles.

Each of these short stories is told from the perspective of a Zimbabwean woman, whether a recent or second-generation immigrant. They come from all classes, from the very poor to the affluent, though most are well-educated. The common thread between them is suffering.

This book really got me down. I can't deny that there is value in these stories, but none of them had a happy ending, although some of the women managed to struggle through and arrive at a better place than when the story started. It's fair to acknowledge that Zimbabwean women in America face a lot of difficulties, but I have to imagine that's not all they face. The style and emotion of these stories got very redundant after a while, and it was hard to pick it up to try to finish it.

As my first real collection of short stories, I really enjoyed this book.

As a White person, I will never totally understand what people go through when moving to another country in order to pursue a better life for themselves, the struggles that they face when they arrive there and then continue to face once they are trying to settle and get comfortable in the United States.

The writing of the stories was very well done and fast paced which meant it was easy to follow along with however the stories are all fairly sad in nature as you would imagine them to be with the premise of this book, some do end in a hopeful outlook however. All the stories of the same nature but different enough that it keeps you hooked.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to Munashe Kaseke's next book!

Thankyou to NetGalley and Mukana Press for this ARC in return for an honest review.