Wars of the Weavers - Paperback

by Debrah Anne Nixon (Author)

Wars of the Weavers is Deirdre's memoir. Deirdre was born in Bulawayo in 1965, a week before Prime Minister Ian Smith cut the Rhodesian state's ties with Britain by declaring Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Deirdre is the first of three children born to Beverley who lives with her husband in the house next door to her parents, Nana and Grandpa Weaver. The Weavers are a white Rhodesian family living out their lives in Bulawayo, often gripped by the growing tensions and fears in the land. Beverley, wrapped up in her own problems looks to Grandpa and Nana and to her siblings for the support she needs in raising her children. In the Weaver family, she is the impulsive and irresponsible one; her twin, Dolly, has limited intellectual abilities. Stella is the consistent, stable sister; Dawn, the one with unconventional, rather too-liberal views of the world. Robbie, the young brother is pressured by his father to leave off his reckless, youthful behaviour and volunteer for army service. The small details of family life - its joys, its strains - are played out against the background of the rumbling civil war building in Rhodesia. Socio-political commentary leaks from media broadcasts filtering into the Weaver home, from the bar banter in white social circles and from the ways in which lives are affected and relationships sundered, by the call on white citizens to defend their government's position.

Author Biography

I, Debrah Anne Nixon, was born in Bulawayo in 1965. My childhood was an itinerant one, shifting from house to house. The wayfarer in me thus established, I job-hopped my way around southern Africa, working in curio outlets, art galleries, game lodges, trading stores and doctor's rooms. By the age of 40, I was into my third marriage where I remain happily. I produced five children in my first two marriages. All of them, I am delighted and relieved to say, are well-adjusted young people, despite weathering my admissions to psychiatric institutions. Since 1995 I have lived in eShowe in KwaZulu-Natal where I cultivate creative outlets to sooth my restlessness. In writing and painting my imagination gets to adventure away from studio and writing desk. I explore through reminiscence and dream, potential subject matter for my arts. Besides painting, writing, reading and watching whodunits, I also love gardening, bird-watching, swimming at night, dancing in circles and drinking too much wine. My greatest loves, of course, are my husband, our children, grandchildren and those who are still my friends. My cherished hates are cigarette smoke, the telephone and reduced libido thanks to certain medications.