Casting with a Fragile Thread by Wendy Kann

Casting with a Fragile Thread, A Story of Sisters and Africa by Wendy Kann (Holt, 2006, $23.00, 284 pages). Reviewed by Angela Barris, Claytor Library

Growing up with five sisters, I could not resist the book featured in this week’s review. Wendy Kann’s memories of growing up in Zimbabwe vividly evoke life in colonial Africa, then called Rhodesia. Her parents provided a privileged childhood with mansions and servants. Wendy falls in love, marries and starts a family, settling in New York City. Her youngest sister is killed suddenly in a car accident, so Wendy returns to Africa to care for her nephew. Her candid treatment of race and culture is thought provoking.