Nowhere in Africa

Nowhere in Africa by Stefanie Zweig was originally written in German and the basis for the film of the same name which won the 2002 Academy Award for best foreign language film. I saw the movie several years ago and just came across the book. There are some crucial plot point differences, but both the book and the movie are enjoyable.
In the book, a Jewish family with strong ties to their community are forced to flee under the Nazis and find refuge in the British colony of Kenya. Walter, the father, gives up a job as an attorney for that of a farm manager who is constantly worrying about his employment status as that of a refugee. His wife, Jettel, was pampered and has a hard time initially adjusting to life in the middle of nowhere. Regina, 5 years old at the time of the move is the one who fits right in and falls in love with rural life in Africa. Language plays a big role in the book. Walter and Jettel speak German and remain steadfastly German even picking up some Swahili, but Regina is the one who proves to be the most adaptable. After learning Swahili, Kikiku, and Jaluo on the farm, she also learns English at her boarding school. When the decision to go back to German is decided, Regina can barely read and write German. The pull of a homeland is too great for Walter, and his desire to fit in somewhere. I enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't great, but I would recommend it to people interested in learning about emmigration stories or who enjoy coming of age stories (especially in a different country than birth).

Based on Zweig’s personal experience as a German Jewish refugee child in Kenya during World War II, this novel inspired the 2003 Oscar Award winner for best foreign film. Now the book has been translated into English for the first time, and as in the movie, the drama is in the family’s confused search for home where three worlds and three languages--English, German, and Swahili--intersect and people “cannot agree on a common word for strife.”...Best of all is the child’s view of the war at home. Husband and wife fight all the time. The beautiful lady can’t stand it on the farm, but when he wants to return to Germany after the war, she can’t leave again. The ironic mix of anger and sorrow is unforgettable.
-- Hazel Rochman (BookList, 02-15-2004)