WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN by Peter Godwin

I enjoy reading memoirs, biographies and the like. This memoir is more about the authors parents who lived in Africa and how he unearths his fathers Jewish past, a past that was never talked about.

This memoir is a story about a family triumphing in a country where they lived and raised their children and are not wanted by a group of people who take other peoples homes by force. The Godwin family was harassed, but never to the point that they were forced to leave. They watched their neighbors and friends homes be burned down by the rebels in Zimbabwe.

Peter Godwin is an award winning journalist and filmmaker, born and raised in Zimbabwe. He was once assigned by the London Sunday Times, then he went to work for the BBC in London making TV documentaries around the world. He has also written for The National Geographic. Peter currently teaches at the New School in New York City. He begins this memoir by returning home to Zimbabwe when his father dies.

Zimbabwe, under the presidency of Robert Mugabe, has drastically changed since Peter was growing up there. Mugabe’s presidency comes with tales of cheating. His men used intimidation and bribery to get votes. In some areas, the votes were more than the constituency. How could this be?

The author had death threats imposed on him when he exposed the government-led massacres that occurred in Zimbabwe. He was considered an enemy of the state. For many years he could not go home. When a friend of his became the Minister of Home Affairs, he made sure Peter could return without being arrested.

In Zimbabwe, white farmers were producers of much of the crops that fed Zimbabwe. This was a benefit until the rebels came and ousted the farmers from their land. It wasn’t like they took over production to feed their own people. They burned everything down and that was the end of production. I can’t quite figure out the reason for that. The rebels prevented Zimbabweans from getting food. Was it because the producers were white? It would have been better if the rebels at least continued production so its own countrymen could still eat.

The economy of Zimbabwe was halved in size within 5 years and 70% of the black middle class has left. Tourism suffers in places like Victoria Falls where there used to be droves of people waiting to buy merchandise and see the Falls. Yet mansions were being built for government officials, generals, judges, etc.

When Peter’s father dies, his sister cannot attend the funeral. She hosted a radio show that was critical of the government in Zimbabwe. It was raided in 6 days after she went on air and ever since she left, she can no longer return for fear of her safety.

Prior to the death of Peters father, he discovers that his dad is Jewish and his real name is Jerry Goldfarb, not George Godwin. He took this name to conceal is ethnic. His father never talked about his past until he was close to death. Peter tries to find his grandmother and Aunt who were separated from his dad as they tried to escape the Holocaust. He never found any reason to think they were still alive.

Its ironic that his father wanted to conceal his Jewish heritage so that he could not be the subject of any racial targeting and instead he became a racial target as a plain white man in Africa.