Author:Andrea Eames

Elise loves the farm that is her home. There is always tea in the silver teapot, gin and tonics are served on the veranda and her days are spent listening to stories of spirits and charms told by her nanny, Beauty. As a young white girl growing up in Zimbabwe, her life is idyllic.
However, this dream-world of her childhood cannot last. As Elise gets older, her eyes are opened to the complexities of adult life, both through the arrival of her step-father, and through her growing understanding of the tensions in Zimbabwean society. As the privileged existence of the white farmers begins to crumble into anarchy and farm invasions begin, Elise is forced to confront difficult choices and the ancient unforgiving ghosts of the past.
In her debut novel, Andrea Eames captures brilliantly the atmosphere of corroding trust that pervades the Coopers' farm...Eames is a young writer with talent, whose novel tackles matters of substance
—— Aminatta Forna , GuardianThis is a touching and assured debut... Eames is definitely one to watch
Eames is a fluent and engaging writer and this debut novel signals real promise for her future
—— Susan Williams , IndependentA frank and unvarnished portrait of life behind the headlines, sharpened by details from the author's own Zimbabwean girlhood
—— Hephzibah Anderson , Daily MailThe Cry of the Go-Away Bird clearly draws on her own experience... The atmosphere is reminiscent of Doris Lessing's The Grass is Singing
—— BBC Radio 4Reminiscent of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird
—— BBC World ServiceA shocking backdrop if recent historical events, Andrea Eames has used a fresh, candid voice to create an intimate, sensitive and moving debut novel
—— Tina Jackson , MetroIn this assured debut novel, Eames draws on her own interrupted childhood...to paint an authentic portrait of a nation on the edge
—— Emma Hagestadt , IndependentThe Cry of the Go-Away Bird is a promising debut novel, and Eames's own Zimbabwean childhood colours her writing with vivid descriptions of the earth, wildlife and Shona language
—— Syndicated Review across National PressRemarkable story
—— TLSThe most original book I have read for quite a long time
—— ObserverRiverting ... both disturbing and entertaining, with twisted low-life chracters rivalling any created by Martin Amis or Nicola Barker
—— Leyla Sanai , SpectatorSounds like a must-read
—— Reading MattersUtterly remarkable…sad in its depth, but delightful on the shimmering surface… It might only be February, but there's going to need to be some strong competition in the months to come if this doesn't end up being my book of the year
—— The BookbagA wonderful survivor’s story… It’s excellent
—— Peter Murchie , British Journal of General PracticeThis book is spooky, erotic and evocative. We loved it.
—— Richard & Judy , Daily ExpressIt is time we stopped thinking of the historical novel as a genre, and an inferior one at that. If its ostensible subject matter means that it doesn't attempt to tell us how we live now, nevertheless a novel set back in time may, if it is good, say as much about what it is to be alive as one set in the next street or another country today. Tides of War is such a novel. It is diverting, but not a diversion
—— The SpectatorA well written, engaging read...beautifully observed
—— History TodayA vivid account of a couple of years in the Peninsula Campaign and a sympathetic portrait of those left behind
—— Joanna Hines , Literary ReviewA delicious novel by an experienced author who captures the scientific atmosphere of the early 19th century with a devastating study of infidelity
—— Colin Gardiner , Oxford TimesThe real life players of the Napoleonic era spring to life
—— iCompelling
—— Big IssueHighly assured and almost educational with its broad sweep of history
—— Jane Housham , GuardianTillyard’s achievement is in this original portray log the Regency era and its relevance to our own time
—— Philippa Williams , The Ladya very human tale about passion, secrets and lies.
—— Reading MattersAn achingly brilliant piece of writing on passion and delusion. It's a pleasure to read from start to finish and reignites our love for fiction
—— Independent