The Maestro, the Magistrate and the Mathematician

“A sensitive exploration of the concepts of identity, family, and home grounded in a rich, intricately detailed depiction of the immigrant experience of the global African diaspora.” — Kirkus Reviews

“His first novel, The Hairdresser of Harare, was a black comedy of political manners, in the Zimbabwe of ZANU-PF and hyperinflation—and along with a sly treatment of sexuality that’s worth the price of admission alone—it put Huchu’s name on a lot of lists of writers to watch. In The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician, he has moved outward to the community of expatriate Zimbabweans living in Edinburgh but waiting for the time to be right to return, triumphantly, home.” — LitHub

“Huchu’s literary prowess is beyond doubt, juggling and fusing humour, language, flashbacks, musical and political references to create this masterpiece.” — The Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)

“As we meet various family members and come to understand their relationships to one another, the familiar immigrant themes of assimilation, sense of place, belonging, and identity slowly emerge, with a freshness and originality that makes this a literary standout. And Edinburgh is a character all by itself as Huchu describes in precise and vivid detail its streets and natural landmarks.” — Booklist

“As characters' mundane paths cross and diverge with no one, really, the better for it, The Maestro, the Magistrate, and the Mathematician plots the meaning of the phrase ‘the devil is in the details.’ Huchu thus seems willing to try and capture—and play with—the widespread cynicism of our moment, in a literary field that sometimes prefers sanguine praise. This rare intermingling of wry humor and broad vision makes him a great interlocutor….” — Bookslut

“There are many books about Africans in the diaspora, many books that appear similar after a while, but not this one. This one stands apart.” — Mmegi (Botswana)

“I am reminded of Julius’s contemplative observations of New York City in Teju Cole’s Open City … Even with all its beauty, Huchu depicts [an Edinburgh] … where people die alone and lonely, and live in the same way; a place where a shared nationality forms tenuous ties that do not necessarily equate to loyalty or kinship.” — The (Harare) Standard

“The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician comes at a time when writers from the continent are protesting the ‘African Literature’ tag, and this text goes a long way in making [their] case. Though majorly concerned with the lives of three Zimbabweans abroad and those around them, it’s a universal and truly illuminating work.”

“The Shona saying for a “breath of fresh air” is mhepo ino tonhorera, and Huchu really is.” — Slipnet