In 1997 foreign correspondent Neely Tucker and his wife, Vita, arrived in Zimbabwe.  After witnessing the devastating consequences of AIDS and economic disaster on the country's children, the couple started volunteering at an orphanage where a critically ill infant, abandoned in a field on the day she was born, was trusted to their care.

Within weeks, Chipo, the baby girl whose name means "gift", would come to mean everything to them.  Their decision to adopt her, however, would challenge an unspoken social norm: that foreigners should never adopt Zimbabwean children.

Against a background of war, terrorism, disease, and unbearable uncertainty about the future, Chipo’s true story emerges as an inspiring testament to the miracles that love - and dogged determination - can sometimes achieve.

“One of 25 Books to Remember from 2004” - The New York Public Library

“A triumph of heart and will.” - O, the Oprah
Magazine

“An extraordinary book of immense feeling and significant social relevance. Love in the Driest Season challenges anyone - even those numbered by the world’s abundant cruelty - not to care.” - Washington Post

“A gorgeous mix of family memoir and reportage that traverses the big issues of politics, racism, and war.” - Publishers Weekly