OLZ Book Giveaway #2

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We shared a little of Cathy Buckle's writing earlier today. Well, now you get a chance to win one of her books and get an up close and personal look at life in Zimbabwe!

We're mixing things up a little today, so pay attention! First of all, there will only be a winner if there are at least 100 comments on this post. Remember, you don't have to be a blogger to win - you just need an email address. So if you want a chance to win and there still aren't 100 comments, grab your spouse, your neighbors, your co-workers, and get them to enter, too!

This giveaway is open world-wide, as are all the other giveaways unless specifically designated otherwise.

There will only be one winner. That winner gets to pick one of the following three books:

African Tears: The Zimbabwe Land Invasions, by Catherine Buckle. "'They broke us eventually, crippled us psychologically and drove us to the brink of bankruptcy. They harassed us and our employees, tortured one of our workers, pulled a gun and threatened to kill me, slaughtered one of our oxen, roamed our fields with packs of hunting dogs, felled over 3,000 gum trees and burnt the entire farm to the ground. Our farm remains undesignated, unlisted and not required by the government for compulsory acquisition.' Catherine Buckle.

'African Tears' is the story of a white farmer in Zimbabwe, living side by side with 'war veterans' for 7 months. The veterans claimed the small 1,000-acre farm belonged to their ancestors. For 7 months the squatters watched and intimidated, claiming the farm field by field, "liberating" the small stock dams and then the timber plantation. The farm was claimed as a war veterans headquarters and every weekend political meetings were held in the field below the house--with hundreds in attendance.

Search your heart, revisit your past and squint into the future, into your greatest fears, your truest loves. Then understand that the emotional and psychological traumas one family has had to endure--in the face of unabashed greed, ignorance and savagery--has been pushed to its limits; their lives threatened; their farm stolen before their eyes and burned to the ground. Readers may well want to ask author Catherine Buckle, 'If things are so bad in Zimbabwe, why don't they leave?' Her answer sums things up swiftly by asking, 'How much longer are we going to be made to pay for the sins of our fathers, grandfathers?' She wants to know why history cannot be laid to rest. Blame for the injustices of the past has been placed squarely on the white population of Zimbabwe; she wants to know why the nation cannot accept this blame, admit that what went on 100 years ago was a disgrace, and move on. She admits openly that her patriotism is both old-fashioned and deep-set. 'I love my country, I love the people here, I love being here. That's why I wrote 'African Tears.' Perhaps, because I don't want to leave. I want to belong.'" (Amazon Product Description)

Beyond Tears: Zimbabwe's Tragedy, by Catherine Buckle. "'Beyond Tears – Zimbabwe’s Tragedy' is a searing indictment of the Zimbabwe Government’s desperate land grab, the destruction of the country’s agricultural sector, and the suffering of those who worked and lived on those farms. It is, indeed, a horrifying story of how a country is being destroyed by a government determined to retain power at all costs.

In 'Beyond Tears,' Cathy talks to the people involved in the weekend horror of the murder of a farmer and the abduction of five other farmers from the apparent safety of the Murehwa police station. She also interviews two women who were viciously raped and afterwards found it difficult to find anyone who would help them. Then, she goes back to her once-thriving farm and finds that it has been turned into a squatter camp. (Jonathan Ball Publishers Description)

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa, by Peter Godwin. "Hailed by reviewers as 'powerful,' 'haunting' and 'a tour de force of personal journalism,' 'When A Crocodile Eats the Sun' is the unforgettable story of one man's struggle to discover his past and come to terms with his present. Award winning author and journalist Peter Godwin writes with pathos and intimacy about Zimbabwe's spiral into chaos and, along with it, his family's steady collapse. This dramatic memoir is a searing portrait of unspeakable tragedy and exile, but it is also vivid proof of the profound strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of love." (Amazon Product Description)

To Enter to win one of these three books: Leave a comment on this post saying which book you would choose if you won. Please make sure you include an email so I can contact you if you win.

You can get up to two extra entries if you (1) post about Operation Love Zimbabwe on your blog, and/or (2) put the Operation Love Zimbabwe button on your blogsite. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

This giveaway is open indefinitely unless/until there are at least 100 comments. The winner will be selected using http://www.random.org/ and will be contacted by email.

And invite your friends and family to enter today, too!