Joan of Arc with connections

This is a book long anticipated, as much in dread of dire news from Zimbabwe as in expectation of brilliant reporting spiced by mordant wit. It does not disappoint. Judith Todd’s chronicle of Mugabe’s crimes against his people appals, yet the ‘life’ of the subtitle has been a high-spirited crusade for justice, democracy and freedom of the press. Firmly attached to the progressive values of Grace and Garfield Todd, benevolent paternalists engaged in ranching, healing, teaching and politicking in south-west Zimbabwe since 1934, their daughter has proven to be cut from the same cloth. But now they are all gone.

Through the Darkness displays the sly humour long ago apparent in The Right to Say No. (She suggests that Mugabe’s ruling party should have restyled itself ZANU (RF) instead of ZANU (PF) after it nominated several diehard Rhodesian Fronters to parliamentary seats in the gift of the President.) Knaves and hypocrites of all stripes should beware Miss Todd — she takes few prisoners.