What Was Life Like Growing Up in Rhodesia During the Bush War? with Alice Henningway

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If you are interested in what life was like in Rhodesia in the 1970s, during the height of the Bush War, from the perspective of a woman who grew up on a frontline farm often attacked, this is the interview for you! In this show, Alice Henningway tells Will what life was like in Rhodesia, where she grew up during the Bush War in the 1970s. Alice and Will discuss the dangerous reality of life on a farm during the Bush War, life after Rhodesia in Zimbabwe, and the unique culture of Rhodesia through the lens of her memoir "Nyika, I Love You". Alice also describes her family's relationship with the Shona people who worked on and lived near their farm on tribal trust land, the Shona traditions she learned there, her family's background, and how she experienced the sharp contrasts of Rhodesian society, which combined formal colonial life with the rigors and dangers of the Bush War, and the excitement of living on the frontier.

Alice also describes her father's Save Valley Conservancy project, describing how it was transformed from cattle ranch land into conservation land. She describes the species reintroduced, how elephants were moved there, the reality of protecting rhinos from poachers, and how local communities are involved in the work. Toward the end, she reflects on leaving Zimbabwe and explains that her memoir is a record of her life and a tribute to the country, Nyika, and her family, while also mentioning her next books.

Get "Nyika, I Love You" here: ⁠https://amzn.to/4uppLuF⁠

Get "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight": ⁠https://amzn.to/4xdFEqJ⁠

(I am an Amazon Associate and will receive a small commission if you use the above links to order these great books). Chapters 0:00 Alice's Rhodesian Childhood: What It Was Like to Grow Up on a Rhodesian Farm 3:57 Living on Tribal Trust Land 5:49 Crazy Encounters with Crocodiles and Hippos 8:15 The Roots of a Rhodesian Farming Family 10:05 The Incredible Reality of Rhodesian Culture 14:21 Life at a Rhodesian Country Club 17:24 Drinking, Horses, Polo, and More: Another Side of the Rhodesian Experience 21:14 What Life Was Like after Mugabe Took Power 23:45 The Save Valley Conservancy 32:19 Fun and Wild Animal Encounters: Drunk Elephants and Protected Rhinos 36:49 Building Relationships with Zimbabwean Villagers 41:53 What Is It Like to Lose One's Home? 46:18 Exile and Homesickness: The Rhodesian Expat Experience 49:19 "Nyika, I Love You", and Alice's Other Works 57:14 Closing Thoughts