To capture the attention of a reader, is the work of not only a great narrative/plot but the application of literary devices. When the two are combined, a story is captivating from start to finish. To reach the end almost feels heartbreaking, because you want the story to go on.
Cynthia Marangwanda's debut novel, Shards, is one such work of literature. First published in 2014, then getting a second run at the print in 2021, the novella is one that demands attention, and excels at reaching vast depths of emotions, while placing a magnifying glass on the makeup of our social fabric. A work of extended metaphors that is driven by Marangwanda's poetic background and strongly influenced by Dambudzo Marechera's style of writing.
Shards is the story of a momentous day(s) in a young woman's life. An occasion where the shattered pieces of her life almost unravel, only for them to finally knit together. It poses a contrast of modernity against the demands of traditionality. The call of the spiritual against the dictates of 21st century living.
Although an ancestral calling is at the centre of it, the novella manages to explore the societal pressures on the youth, the political landscape in Zimbabwe, mental health, substance abuse and how one's life purpose can threaten to drag them from everything that provides them stability. Shards is a reflection on the shards of our existence, the different parts of our lives that we try to hold together despite the cracks and the constant of everything falling apart.
It is a brilliant work of fiction, with a melodic quality to the writing that makes it especially easy to read. Indirectly, it speaks to the lost heritage of Zimbabwe. The lost understanding that now places explanations of events in our lives in the context of western cultures. Unwittingly or maybe by design, the novella's conclusion demands we look to our past to find answers.
There is an awakening required in us, and although fictional it sounds all too practical. Shards' broken world draws you in and paints vivid pictures within it's metaphors. It's no wonder why the novel received a NAMA Award for Debut Published Work.
Title: Shards
Authors: Cynthia Marangwanda
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Carnelian Heart Publishing
Shards is available across all major book selling platforms and locally from Book Fantastics.
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