Going Home

"Africa belongs to the Africans; the sooner they take it back the better. But—a country also belongs to those who feel at home in it. Perhaps it may be that love of Africa the country will be strong enough to link people who hate each other now. Perhaps..."

Going Home is Doris Lessing's account of her first journey back to Africa, the land in which she grew up and in which so much of her emotion and her concern are still invested. Returning to Southern Rhodesia in 1956, she found that her love of Africa had remained as strong as her hatred of the idea of "white supremacy" espoused by its ruling class. Going Home evokes brilliantly the experience of the people, black and white, who have shaped and will shape a beloved country.

In this unflinching account, Lessing confronts the paradox of her homeland.

• A Writer’s Return: After seven years in England, Lessing grapples with a love for the African landscape that is as strong as her hatred for the political system espoused by its ruling class.
• The Colour Bar: A sharp, firsthand look at the daily humiliations and absurdities of segregation in 1956 Southern Rhodesia, from separate post office counters to the unwritten rules of social interaction.
• White Settler Psychology: Lessing’s incisive social commentary dissects the fears, rationalizations, and neuroses of the white population, exploring how they justify an unjust system.
• A Prophetic Glimpse of the Future: More than a travelogue, this is a prescient analysis of the forces—black and white—that would shape the future of a beloved but tormented country.