When A Crocodile Eats the Sun--Peter Godwin

This book, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, by Peter Godwin, was a GREAT book. The story is a true story, full of different aspects of Godwin's life. He is a journalist, and as a part of his job he travels all over. Godwin's parents live in Zimbabwe, where he grew up, but he and his family live in the United States (and England for a little time). However, he constantly goes to Africa to help his family and to report on the situation in Zimbabwe. Godwin incorporates his family history with present and past Zimbabwe history. For example, he tells the story of how his family came to Africa: his father had a hidden identity of being Jewish, and fled Poland during the Holocaust to live in England, and later Africa. Godwin's father met his mother, and they married. For a long time, being White Africans did not have any major effect on their every day life style. However, as Godwin discusses in his novel, this soon changes. When the presidency changes (Mugabe comes to power), wovits (war-veterens) and other "police" groups begin to invade and harm white farmers. The wovits go for the land, but also kill, torture, and imprison the white farmers. In this time, the economy in Zimbabwe becomes very bad--inflation occurs majorly and it is very hard to get food and other necessary things. Godwin's parents were always well-off, but during the story, he discusses how even they were saving money and working hard to get food on the table. When one compares this living situation to what we have in the United States (as Godwin sort of does), one realizes how lucky and fortunate the world we live in is. Overall, this was a great book and I would definitely recommend it to anybody interested in history!