A Son of the Soil

By Wilson Katiyo

A Son of the Soil is Wilson Katiyo's powerful debut novel, first published in 1976 and widely read across Zimbabwe and internationally. Set during the final decades of white-ruled Rhodesia, the novel follows Alexio Shonga from childhood in a rural village to adolescence in the segregated township of Salisbury (now Harare).

Through village folklore, family tensions and the harsh realities of racial discrimination, Alexio gradually develops a political awareness that leads him toward the liberation struggle. Blending oral storytelling traditions with psychological depth, Katiyo offers a vivid portrait of a society under strain and a young man's painful coming of age.

Formerly a Cambridge 'O' Level set text, this Legacy Edition invites new readers to rediscover a landmark of Zimbabwean literature.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1915527082
• ISBN13: 9781915527080
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Books of Africa
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"