What does it mean to belong?
For Yamilé, it begins with a choza-a self-built house beneath a zinc roof.
Built with determination in an informal settlement, the house becomes the centre of her lifelong struggle for dignity, security and the right to remain. As she moves through the homes and lives of others, confronting her own limitations, the boundaries others place upon her and the barriers of an unequal society, Yamilé struggles to claim a place that is truly her own in a country shaped by decades of conflict, where violence, ambition and social change leave their mark on ordinary lives.
Zinc Roofs is a novel about belonging, resilience and the fragile hope of putting down roots in uncertain ground. Through Yamilé's journey, it traces the lives of others searching for their own place in a changing society. It explores the homes we build, the histories that shape us, and the quiet determination it takes to claim a place in the world.
