AIFA Book Club Members had an exciting time on Saturday, April 22, 2023, as they converged to discuss Mubanga Malimamukwento’s short story, “THANDIWE” The book club session was held at MILIKI and had different industry professionals in attendance.
‘Thandiwe’ is a short story set in Zambia and tells the story of three women: Misozi, Chisomo and their mother, Thandiwe.
As our manner is, the session began with introductions where the club members exchanged pleasantries. Thereafter, an icebreaker session was carried out to get the attendees warmed up for the session. Right after the Icebreaker session, the discussants went into the business of the day which was to discuss Mubanga Malikwamukwento’s short story, “THANDIWE.”
The club members shared different perspectives on the story ranging from family dynamics to relationships. Some of the issues x-rayed by the story were that of the challenges involved in taking care of aged parents and its attending consequences on the children.
Several participants believed past hurts must be let go, whereas others argued that it is not as easy as it sounds but need to be done regardless. In addition to empathy, all of the participants agreed that humans should show empathy to their fellow humans because everyone seems to be in some unpleasant situations.
Speaking on the author’s style of writing, Mrs. Egwuterai mentioned that she loves how the author employed a unique style to communicate the message through the story. She also mentioned that she derived motivation to write more just from reading the story.
Another participant, Mrs. Nweke, also expressed delight upon reading the short story, deducing that being mean and resentful is not helpful and urged people to refrain from such attitudes.
According to Mrs. Roli, some of the lessons that stood out for her included giving prominence to mental health issues, not being judgmental, understanding people’s ways of thinking, and being patient with children. Among the other lessons discussed were the importance of protecting one’s peace of mind, letting go of past hurts, understanding family dynamics and how to deal with them, being aware of things that will lead to bitterness and hatred, balancing parenting skills and documenting one’s journey.
As the book club members dispersed, they looked forward to the next meeting as it proved to be an enjoyable experience for all.
