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52 pages 1 hour read

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2001

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Book Brief

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Alexandra Fuller

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2001
Book Details
Pages

336

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Rhodesia, Zimbabwe • 1970s

Publication Year

2001

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller is a memoir detailing her tumultuous childhood during the Rhodesian Bush War and life in post-independence Southern Africa, capturing her family's hardships, losses, and survival against the backdrop of political and social changes as they navigate life on struggling farms in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia. It includes graphic descriptions of violence, death, and systemic racism.

Mysterious

Bittersweet

Emotional

Melancholic

Adventurous

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller is a gripping memoir that offers a vivid portrayal of life in war-torn Africa. Reviews praise its evocative storytelling and rich descriptions, although some find the narrative occasionally disjointed. The book's raw, unflinching honesty about familial and racial tensions stands out, making it both compelling and challenging.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight?

Readers who relish evocative memoirs will enjoy Alexandra Fuller’s Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. Fans of Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle or Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes will appreciate Fuller’s compelling narrative of a tumultuous childhood in war-torn Africa, marked by resilience and vivid storytelling.

Character List

Alexandra Fuller

Nicknamed "Bobo," she is a complex figure who navigates an identity crisis rooted in her dual upbringing in England and colonial Africa. Her life is marked by personal tragedy and an evolving critique of her family's racist ideologies.

Alexandra's mother, characterized by her striking looks and athleticism, manages the family's farms and exhibits resilience amid adversity. Her worldview is deeply impacted by her racist ideology, which distorts her sense of belonging and is intertwined with her alcohol misuse and bipolar disorder.

Alexandra's older sister, who exhibits a nurturing and resilient demeanor, often stepping into a maternal role in the family. Her forced maturity results from familial hardships and personal trauma, which she faces with quiet strength.

The patriarch of the Fuller family, a free-spirited British expatriate who drives the family's nomadic lifestyle in Africa. Although deeply devoted to his family, he holds a white supremacist ideology and struggles with grief and reckless behavior after personal loss.

Book Details
Pages

336

Format

Autobiography / Memoir • Nonfiction

Setting

Rhodesia, Zimbabwe • 1970s

Publication Year

2001

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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