The Rain Goddess
The Rain Goddess is a novel by Peter Stiff (ISBN 978-1919854069), set in the war-torn area of Rhodesia's (before 1966, Southern Rhodesia; now Zimbabwe) North-East border, a region which the Rhodesian military staff called "Hurricane".[1]
 | |
| Author | Peter Stiff |
|---|---|
| Country | Rhodesia (1st Ed.) South Africa (5th Ed.) |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | New English Library Ltd 1st Ed. Galago Publishing Pty Ltd 5th Ed. |
Publication date | 1976 - 1st Edition 2004 - 5th Edition |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 296 |
| ISBN | 978-1-919854-06-9 |
Overview
The story, which takes place in the mid-1960s to early 1970s,[2] begins as the British South Africa Police fight against communist-backed guerillas. These guerrillas use torture and violence to intimidate African tribesmen into joining their cause.[3] The Rhodesian Security forces fight to keep a fragile peace that is governed by force of arms, as well as by the tribesmens' faith in the predictions of their spirit medium. This medium is said to be able to communicate with the spirit of the Rain Goddess. While the book was originally written as fiction, many of the events in the book are taken from actual events with some names of persons and places changed.[4]
The writer, Peter Stiff, wrote the book largely from his own experiences with the Police and contact with the Selous Scouts, in an attempt to make ordinary citizens in Rhodesia aware of what was actually going on inside their own country.[5]
The author, London-born South African Peter Stiff, died on 27 April 2016.
References
- Cilliers, Jakkie (2015-04-17). Counter-Insurgency in Rhodesia (RLE: Terrorism and Insurgency). Routledge. ISBN 9781317499244.
- http://www.flipkart.com/rain-goddess-peter-stiff-book-1919854061
- http://www.memoriesofrhodesia.com/NewBooks/New_Books/THE_RAIN_GODDESS.html%5B%5D
- Chennells, A. J. "Essay Review: The Treatment of the Rhodesian War in Recent Rhodesian Novels", University of Rhodesia, Michigan State University Library Archives, 1977, p.192-196.
- http://www.booksofzimbabwe.com/peterstiff.html