The Old Drift

By: Namwali Serpell

Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh, Richard E. Grant, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Length: 24 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Electrifying, playful, ambitious, brilliant - a Zambian debut novel that follows three generations of three families, telling the story of a nation, and of the grand sweep of time.

On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. Here begins the epic story of a small African nation, told by a mysterious swarm-like chorus that calls itself man’s greatest nemesis. The tale? A playful panorama of history, fairy tale, romance and science fiction. The moral? To err is human.

In 1904, in a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles the fates of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. This sets off a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families (black, white, brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond. As the generations pass, their lives - their triumphs, errors, losses and hopes - form a symphony about what it means to be human.

From a woman covered with hair and another plagued with endless tears, to forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones, to homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts, microdrones and viral vaccines - this gripping, unforgettable novel sweeps over the years and the globe, subverting expectations along the way. Exploding with colour and energy, The Old Drift is a testament to our yearning to create and cross borders, and a meditation on the slow, grand passage of time.

©2019 Namwali Serpell (P)2019 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"It’s difficult to think of another novel that is at once so sweepingly ambitious and so intricately patterned, delivering the pleasures of saga and poetry in equal measure. The Old Drift is an endlessly innovative, voraciously brilliant book, and Namwali Serpell is among the most distinctive and exciting writers to emerge in years." (Garth Greenwell)

Magnificent African Epic

An alternative approach meandering tale akin to ‘A heart of darkness’ Mesmerising , thought provoking and troubling .

A magnificent African tale

I am familiar with the places and languages about so it was a wonderful journey for me.
It is a wonderful African a story with all the complexities woven in its tapestry.
Magnificent characters well developed and compelling themes.
Read the book it’s a wonderful ride.

Thoughts a Drift :

An amazingly written story , reminiscent of an African folks- legend from " Zambian mythology" with rich creative language superimposed into modern and futuristic tale or saga. I felt (as an ancient colonial myself)there were many lessons to be learn from this brilliant young writer. Maybe it was too drawn out and had a complexity of times and characters . At one point, I was confused and almost gave up listening. But I am glad I persevered rather like "War and Peace" .
The narrators had excellent voices but not all the accents were believable..Nyla sounded South African?

The story is epic and narrator is so versatile!

The story is epic but without the narrator, I don’t think I would have finished the book.