Independence of Tanzania

For this part of the book, source material is prolific. The circumstances of British decolonisation and African independence brought separation for the Anderson and Wright families, and letter-writing was not only a form of catharsis for them all, but also a way of recording what they realised was history in the making.

Rasharasha Garden

Cherry pie and larkspur, roses wreathed in dew:
Butterfly delphiniums, pale and royal blue
Stately swaying lilies, white as driven snow:
Bright and gay geraniums, with pinks and reds aglow.
Dancing gerbera daisies slim and starry eyed
Secret purple shadows on the mountain side
A crimson ball at sunrise, a mushroom on the lawn
The cooing of wood pigeons, the heralds of the dawn.

Patricia, 1959