Catalogue - New Works (Ficton & non-ficton)

Seventh Floor Cupid
by Anne Olsen

Books of Zimbabwe, 1980
190 x 130 mm, viii, 122 pp., 10 cartoons, 1980.
ISBN (Std) 0 949931 02 0, (Pbk) 0 949931 Ol 2.

Anne Olsen who runs one of the country's leading marriage bureaux tells how she has put her personal misfortune and experience to work in alleviating the heart-break of others. Quite often humorous, though mostly poignant, the 'case histories' of a great variety of 'star-crossed lovers' are unfolded, each one shielded by anonymity.

There is the woman whose first pregnancy miscarried - to be told on recovery that she would not be able to have other children, whose husband, in his wild Latin grief, consequently rejected her; the over-sixty widower who was perturbed to think that his 'new' fiancee, a spinster, might be a virgin; the lovely trusting girl who was drugged at a party; a man whose prospective mother-in-law put a spanner in the works; the mother who plotted secrefly with 'Cupid' to find a partner for her jilted daughter; the young man disfigured by a land-mine accident; and another who was too good-looking for his own good; and the sad ones who realise too late that 'proving' their love and compatibility by living together just does not work.

It is written in compassionate vein, with keen insight into human foibles, and with understanding of the problems of the lonely and of those in search of companionship. It is sprinkled with light-hearted passages and these are illustrated with Rose Martin's humorous cartoons.


"... a little book that packs more human emotion into its pages than most novels."
SUNDAY NEWS

"Cleverly combining pathos with humour; the former journalist gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes picture of how people react to their contrived introductions in her role as Cupid." THE HERALD

© Copyright 1967-2006 - Books of Rhodesia, Books of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, Books of Zimbabwe<br>Images and logos on this site may not be used or re-produced in any form without written permission from the respective owners.