Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different
The Dust Diaries
by Sheers, Owen
- Used
- Hardcover
- Signed
- Condition
- See description
- ISBN 10
- 0571210163
- ISBN 13
- 9780571210169
- Seller
-
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
(London: Faber and Faber, 2004) 0571210163. 8vo; original black boards; laminated pictorial dustwrapper; pp. (x) + 310; portrait; map. Slight curl to top edge of dustwrapper; earlier owner's name signed on front free endpaper. Near fine condition. "When Owen Sheers discovers a book in his father's study he stumbles upon the life of an obscure relative: Arthur Cripps, lyric poet and maverick missionary to Rhodesia. Compelled by the description of Cripps' extraordinary life in Africa, Sheers embarks on a journey through contemporary Zimbabwe in an attempt to better understand his ancestor's devotion to the country and its people and the dramatic, often bloody, differences that echo across the years. Arriving in Africa at the turn of the last century, Cripps establishes his own mission at Maronda Mashanu; the neighbouring European community soon grow suspicious of Cripps' unorthodox methods, and conflict with the British South Africa Company ensues. ... The Dust Diaries is a richly peopled, bold and beautiful testimony - an investigation into the nature of love, loss, family and belonging, and the story of how one man's life can resonate down the years in the lives of others." .
Synopsis
At a family reunion in Wales several years ago, the prize-winning poet Owen Sheers stumbled across the mesmerizing story of his great-great-uncle Arthur Cripps, a mysterious figure who turned from poetry to missionary work in Africa and ultimately became a shamanlike figure, ministering to the locals. Arthur Cripps left his native England in a ship set for southern Rhodesia in 1900. During his time as a missionary in the British colony, Cripps became passionate about indigenous ways, leaving him ostracized from the largely racist, conservative European minority. Railing against colonial injustice, Cripps became a hero to the native population. He chose to exile himself from the Anglican church, factions of which branded him a heretic and burned down his churches. All the while he hid the soul-racking secret of what had driven him from England into the heart of Africa. The Dust Diaries is the haunting record of Sheers's all-consuming attempt to piece together the luminous fragments of Arthur Cripps's remarkable life, and to understand the mystery of why he abandoned England for life in the African veldt - a journey that takes Sheers from the genteel reading rooms of Oxford University's libraries to the parched landscape of contemporary Zimbabwe. Refracting Cripps's life through the prism of his own vivid imagination, Sheers illuminates the devastating effects of power, the potent effects of grace, and the legacy of an extraordinary life.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Christison Rare Books, IOBA SABDA
(ZA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 7688
- Title
- The Dust Diaries
- Author
- Sheers, Owen
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0571210163
- ISBN 13
- 9780571210169
- Publisher
- (London: Faber and Faber, 2004) 0571210163
- Place of Publication
- London
- This edition first published
- March 2004
- Keywords
- Mashonaland. Missionaries. Literature Rhodesia
- Bookseller catalogs
- Rhodesia;
Terms of Sale
Christison Rare Books, IOBA SABDA
All books offered subject to availability. Returns are accepted where we have erred materially in our description of goods.
About the Seller
Christison Rare Books, IOBA SABDA
Biblio member since 2018
Port Elizabeth
About Christison Rare Books, IOBA SABDA
Christison Rare Books operates as a mail order business, based in Port Elizabeth. We are members of IOBA and SABDA. Whereas we stock thousands of books on a wide variety of subjects, our focus has always been on SE Africa - its peoples, wildlife and history. The store is managed by Lindsay Christison. Although we do not run an open book shop, prospective customers who would like to examine items described in our on-line list of stock are welcome to make an appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
Frequently asked questions
This Book’s Categories
Collecting Miniature Books
Teeny, tiny, beautiful books...the world of miniature books is one that involves a lot of imagination and craftsmanship. Dive in and see!
Collecting and Using City Directories
Don’t overlook that old city directory - it is priceless for authors, collectors who focus on specific cities, geneaology, and other niche interests. Learn more...
