About The Boy Next Door

As Zimbabwe breaks free of British colonial rule, young Lindiwe Bishop encounters violence at close hand when her white neighbour is murdered. But this is a domestic crime, apparently committed by the woman’s stepson, Ian, although he is released from prison surprisingly quickly. Intrigued, Lindiwe strikes up a covert friendship with the mysterious boy next door, until he abruptly departs for South Africa.

Years later, Ian returns to find Lindiwe has been hiding her own secret. It is to bring them closer together, but also test a relationship already contending with racial prejudice and the hostility of Lindiwe’s mother. And as their country slides towards chaos, the couple’s grip on happiness becomes ever more precarious.

Vividly evoking the traumatic history of a nation once brimming with promise, The Boy Next Door tells an engrossing, unpredictable story of love against the odds, and of the shadows cast by the past.

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About the author

Irene Sabatini grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She studied psychology at the University of Zimbabwe and then took a Masters at the Institute of Education in London. She has lived and worked in several countries: teaching in Colombia, conducting research work in Barbadian schools and writing environmental science books for Zimbabwean primary schools. She currently lives in Geneva with her husband and two sons.

Read Irene Sabatin’s essential book choices

Win a copy of The Boy Next Door

Simply answer the following question:

What name is shared by one of the books main protagonists and the last white man to govern Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe?

• David
• James
• Ian

Terms and conditions

1. Closing date for entries: 26th February 2010.
2. Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
3. Open to persons over 18 years of age only
4. Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
5. The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
6. Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookhugger. Our decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The winner’s name(s) may be published on the Bookhugger website after the closing date of the competition.
8. The prize has no equivalent cash value.
9. The competition is not open to Bookhugger employees and their families, or to employees of Bookhugger publishers and their families.

1. j Says:
   February 13th, 2010 at 2:29 pm

   great book

2. Angela Gordon Says:
   February 24th, 2010 at 7:41 pm

   make me win

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