Born and Bred in the Zambezi Valley Book

Jane Vlahakis Nash's astonishing story begins with two Greek brothers, Demetri and Nicholaos, who fled injustice in Turkey and went to Africa to start a new life. They settled at Chirundu on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River in Northern Rhodesia. Here is a gold mine for members of the extensive Vlahakis family, but it's also a valuable resource for lovers of Africa, students of sociology, and anyone who is aware of what it means to be 'coloured' in a predominantly Bantu society, ruled in those days by white settlers. At the heart of this flowering family tree is Demetra Farm, and happy times spent there learning bush lore, swimming in the Zambezi, playing games by moonlight, and going off to school at Fatima, the 'home from home' for many Vlahakis children. A few shadows touch their lives - untimely deaths, warfare and the spectre of Aids - but these are counterbalanced by contacts made abroad, rediscovery of Greek 'roots', and an idyllic life under a hot sun in the warm embrace of a big-hearted family. It all makes for an uplifting read.Read More