Cradle of Lightning

A Story of Botswana

De: Francine Walls

Narrado por: Tavia Gilbert

It is 1972 and Alicia Talbot, a Vietnam war widow with a two-year-old son, has traveled to the poor, mostly illiterate nation of Botswana to teach English. At the nearby border, civil war roils Rhodesia. Alicia’s remote school harbors a saboteur, someone runs guns to Rhodesian guerrillas, and students sense the rising tension. Alicia falls for a new teacher, Jake Hunter, but just when romance seems possible, the sunbaked Kalahari Desert and guerrilla warfare threaten all she loves.

©2024 Francine Walls (P)2025 Francine Walls

Heartfelt

Cradle of Lightning is a beautifully written and deeply heartfelt account of life in Botswana in 1972 told through the intertwined experiences of raising a small child and teaching English.
The plot of this historical fiction involves more than just life as a teacher — there are sabotage, political tension, and romance.

There is tension in the story: civil war nearby (Rhodesia) and a saboteur at the school.

Cradle of Lightning is ultimately a book about resilience, cross-cultural connection,I found it insightful, tender, sometimes funny, and always engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs, stories of parenting, or simply a well-told human journey.

A fascinating story set in Botswana

A story of a teacher in a school on the Rhodesian border. Well written and narrated.