The Old Drift

*The old drift*

The Old Drift is a colonial town located a short distance from the magnificent Victoria Falls on the banks of the Zambezi River in 1904. An Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark makes a mistake while flustered in a smoke-filled room at the hotel across the river, entwining the lives of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. As three Zambian families (black, white, and brown) clash and merge over the course of a century, into the present, and beyond, this starts a cycle of unintentional retribution. As the years go by, their lives—their victories, mistakes, setbacks, and hopes—emerge via a variety of historical, fairytale, love, and science fiction themes.

This gripping, unforgettable novel is a testament to our desire to create and cross borders and a meditation on the slow, grand passage of time. It features a woman covered in hair and another who is afflicted with unending tears, forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones, as well as homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts, microdrones, and viral vaccines.