The Glitter Horn – Tendayi Chirawu

The Glitter Horn is a romance novel that deals with domestic abuse as well as the fast-paced romance between Paxon, an American footballer and Malaika, a married mother of one. Malaika lives in France, struggling in her unhappy marriage to Axel.

Tendayi Chirawu, the author, lives in France and I love how she uses French expressions and a French accent for her characters. I could just hear them in my head, even the obnoxious Axel. I felt sorry for the main character, although I cringed when she meets Paxon and things start to slide downhill. There are several surprising twists and turns in the book, making me sit up each time.

I love how Tendayi weaves in the details of domestic abuse, especially emotional and verbal abuse. “But he doesn’t hit me, so I’m fine,” is such a typical line. There is an escalation as well throughout the book and I was getting so worried for Malaika. I kept hissing, “Just get out, girl, before it’s too late!” Tendayi brings out the nuances and gaslighting well, making you realise more about Axel every time. The effect on Malaika goes deep, affecting how she views herself and others.

Malaika’s beautiful daughter, who is an amazing gymnast, is a character I would love to read more about. I would love a children’s book about her! She is such a sweet girl and I loved the glitter horn, such a brilliant idea, although you’d find glitter on your carpet for the next ten years if you did it inside… Then there is Chen, Malaika’s sister. Was that a cliffhanger at the end, leading up to the next book?

This book comes with a serious Bedroom Warning, but I was pleased Tendayi asked me to read her book. She is an amazing person, and I love her YouTube show, the BookHQ, where she interviews various writers. Her questions are amazing, and like The Gitter Horn, there are so many layers that she will uncover.

The Glitter Horn is not just about Malaika and Paxon, about a famous footballer and a ‘nobody’ but deals with so many other issues through the characters. There are family pressures, family members ignoring abuse or condoning it, effects of drink and relationships. So although I am not into bedroom scenes, I still got so much out of this book, making me think a lot about people around us. I can see so many spin-off stories from The Glitter Horn, as Tendayi has set up a great cast of people.

And don’t you just love the cover of this book?

To find out more about the book and Tendayi, visit her website, www.tendayichirawu.com.

2 thoughts on “The Glitter Horn – Tendayi Chirawu

  1. It’s interesting and profound how a woman suffering in silence still presents a capable/functioning face to the world

    1. I agree! It’s such a shock when you find out when somebody close to you has been living with abuse for a long time…

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