Fighting abuse from the grave

Book review by Lazarus Sauti

Title:               Letters from Beyond
Author:          Prudence Natsai Muganiwah-Zvavanjanja
Publisher:       New Heritage Press
ISBN:             978-0-7974-7171-9

Domestic abuse is in the news now more than ever and it is time for action and change. This is the purpose-in-life of Prudence Natsai Muganiwah-Zvavanjanja’s book “Letters from Beyond.” The book is the voice of the voiceless; it serves as a mouthpiece for women living under a heavy yoke of abuse.

Letters from Beyond notes that crimes of passion as well as abusive relationships are the order of the day and attitudes and perceptions still justify certain forms of domestic violence. Although statistics in the country show that domestic abuse is rife, they do not tell the whole story as many cases still go unreported – due to the culture of silence in the country.

Muganiwah-Zvavanjanja’s book, inspired by this increase in reported incidence of domestic violence within many circles in the country, tells the story of Olivia, a young woman, who dies at the hands of her husband, but relays the story of her abuse in retrospect from the grave.

Olivia was abused by her husband and mother in law, but all the way to the grave, she kept quite. Cultural dictates and church, as well as societal expectations forced her to hide her scars. At the end, these dictates killed her. Justifiable, Olivia is a bitter woman. “I am a bitter woman. I am angry at society for not having wanted to listen to my version of the story, for not wanting to consider my feelings.” (pp.114)

Significantly, the book, edited by prolific writer, Phillip Chidavaenzi, explores concerns that need urgent attention if the country is to all forms of gender violence. Issues such as traditional and religious practices, as well as societal expectations that perpetrate violence need to be seriously tackled to change people’s attitudes and behaviour.


Letters from Beyond is one book that will certainly trigger people, especially women to open up and fight domestic abuse.

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