When It’s Your Turn for Midnight tells the poignant story of fifteen-year-old Chiante, whose life is turned upside down following a devastating accident that prompts her mother to make a shocking and life-altering statement. Overwhelmed by confusion and hurt, Chiante makes the difficult decision to leave her family home in Harare. With a small bag in tow, she travels to Mutare to spend the school holidays with her beloved grandmother, Ankara.

As she arrives at Ankara's home, Chiante seeks solace in the warmth of her grandmother's close-knit community, a space filled with the laughter and resilience of women who have faced their hardships. Her grandmother and her sisters, who once fought a war as mere children, are now living vibrant lives, embracing the joy they’ve earned through their struggles. Despite the comfort of her surroundings, Chiante grapples with her inability to accept her mother’s words, which has created a rift between them. She isolates herself, trying to avoid confronting the painful emotions swirling within her.

Throughout her time with Ankara, Chiante begins to uncover the layers of her grandmother's history. She realizes that the past is never entirely erased; it shapes who we are and influences our relationships. As she delves deeper into her grandmother's life, Chiante gains a new perspective on her family's struggles and triumphs. The narrative reveals how the bonds of family, regardless of their complexity, hold immense significance in the face of adversity.

As the story unfolds, Chiante learns the importance of reconciliation and the courage required to mend familial ties. With the support of her sisters and parents, she understands that they must confront their collective past to rebuild their family and embrace the fullness of life together. The journey toward healing becomes a shared endeavor, as Chiante and her loved ones navigate the intricacies of forgiveness and connection.

Through Chiante's emotional journey, the narrative emphasizes that while the past may linger, it is the strength of familial love that empowers us to move forward and live fully. As Chiante finds her way back to her family, she discovers that healing is possible when we open our hearts and face our truths together.

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Chiante is fifteen when an unfortunate accident results in her Mama making an earth-shattering, life altering statement. Upset and confused, she packs a small bag, leaves the family home in Harare, and heads to her Ankara's home to spend the school holidays with her grandmother. Unable to accept what she heard, Chiante shuts herself off from her Mama and Baba, instead spending time in a small, close-knit community in Mutare. Having fought a war together as no more than children, her grandmother and her sisters are living their best lives, knowing they have earned it.

Chiante begins to realise that no one's past disappears completely and, as she tries to come to terms with her own turmoil, her Ankara's history begins to take on a different hue. As the importance of family, however it is formed, becomes clearer to Chiante, she, her sisters and parents know they too have to try to find the courage to put their family back together so they can live their lives to the full.

This is my second book by an author who has a real talent for showing how the life experiences that define us aren't ever unique, even though we may be. 'Wars never end. They just change location' is the tagline for this beautifully written young adult novel, and its message becomes clearer the further into the book you travel.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Head of Zeus/Zephyr, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a positive, powerful, and compassionate story that gets its message of hope and understanding across clearly and concisely. Highly recommended.

Mati’s family has been devasted by the death of Mati’s mother. Her Baba has withdrawn, her sister Chichi is rebelling, and her young brother Tana is lost without someone there for him.
Then Baba decided they need a change in scenery so takes the family from their home in England for an extended camping holiday in his native Zimbabwe.
Accompanying Mati is Meticais, with whom only Mati can see and converse. Meticais’ role is of mentor, dispensing observations and wisdom.
With plot twists this is aimed at acceptance of grief, love, and family.

When It’s Your Turn For Midnight is a YA novel about girls and women in Zimbabwe who forge unbreakable bonds which make them an unstoppable force.

Chiante’s world is turned upside down when she finds out her Baba is not who she thought he was. She runs away to her grandmother and seeks solace with her and her friends. These elders were brought together by bonds of war and have stayed together due to the sisterhood they created. They sing, dance, drink and run a fashion up-cycling business. Chiante learns how they work, trying to delve into the secrets and puzzle of her family’s past.

This book is extraordinarily well written and it is an important representation of found family, and how this can be just as (and sometimes more) important than blood relations.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.