Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood

Alexandra Fuller outlines her upbringing in 1970s and 80s Rhodesia, Malawi, and Zambia during a period of violent decolonization. The narrative follows Bob and Nicola Fuller, expatriate farmers who navigate landmines, snakes, and malaria while maintaining fierce loyalty to their disappearing colonial lifestyle. Fuller details her mother’s descent into alcoholism and clinical depression following the deaths of three children, set against the backdrop of the Rhodesian Bush War. She documents the daily physical hazards of the African veld and the casual, systemic racism inherent in her family’s perspective.

Readers interested in the collapse of white rule in southern Africa find an unvarnished account of colonial ego and survival. It appeals to those who study the psychological effects of generational trauma and the logistical realities of rural African farming. The audience gains a specific understanding of how children normalize political instability and personal loss. The text leaves readers with a clear view of the complex, often contradictory affection settlers felt for a landscape that frequently threatened their lives and eventually rejected their presence.

Inward-looking and contemplative; an easy read.

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