The old drift

On the banks of the Zambezi River a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. Here begins the epic story of a small African nation told by a mysterious swarm-like chorus that calls itself man's greatest nemesis. The tale? A playful panorama of history fairytale romance and science fiction. The moral? To err is human. In 1904 in a smoky room at the hotel across the river an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark foggy with fever makes a mistake that entangles the fates of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. This sets off a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families (black white brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century into the present and beyond. As the generations pass their lives – their triumphs errors losses and hopes – form a symphony about what it means to be human. From a woman covered with hair and another plagued with endless tears to forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones to homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts microdrones and viral vaccines – this gripping unforgettable novel sweeps over the years and the globe subverting expectations along the way. Exploding with color and energy "The Old Drift" is a testament to our yearning to create and cross borders and a meditation on the slow grand passage of time.