The Last of the Innocents

A powerful coming-of-age novel exploring female friendship and identity, from the winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize.


In 1985, five girls – Suzanne, Portia, Chantal, Senzeni and Petronella – find themselves at Miss McDonald’s Boarding House.

Suzanne’s father has been disappeared by one word: assassination. Portia’s mother has left her in the care of witches. Chantal’s mother has befriended Johnnie Walker. Senzeni’s parents have contracted something called new-mo-nia. Petronella’s mother has failed to live up to her daughter’s great expectations.

The girls form a fierce bond. But then Senzeni disappears from their lives.

The Last of the Innocents follows the four friends as they carry the weight of their shared secrets from girlhood to womanhood. Can their burdened bond survive the revelation of truth? Should it?
Praise for Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu:
'A gifted storyteller' – The Sunday Times
'Ndlovu’s lyrical writing has reimagined how stories about post-independence Zimbabwe are told' – The Guardian
'Her style is deceptively simple as she describes the great mysteries of how we come to be who we are' – The New York Times
'Ndlovu impresses with a fresh and astute perspective on colonialism, race and family' – Publishers Weekly