Climbing Trees: A Rhodesian Childhood Forged in Turmoil

Set against the backdrop of war-torn Rhodesia, Climbing Trees is a haunting and heartfelt memoir where innocence is fragile and family ties are as complex as the political turmoil unfolding around them.

Growing up on a beloved family farm surrounded by her maternal relatives and an adored grandfather, Beverley Campbell’s early years are marked by comfort and belonging. But when her parents divorce and remarry, her world begins to unravel.

Abandoned by her father, caught between two emotionally fraught homes, and blindsided by personal and national tragedy—including the murder of neighbors and the near-death of her baby sister—she is forced to navigate a fractured childhood in a country on the brink.

As the civil unrest escalates and the farm that held her happiest memories is lost, the death of her grandfather becomes a defining blow, leaving her emotionally untethered. Like a chameleon, she learns to survive, adapting to shifting family dynamics and the growing awareness of a racially and morally divided society.

Told with unflinching honesty and quiet strength, Climbing Trees is a powerful coming-of-age story about resilience, identity, and the courage it takes to find one’s place in a world that feels increasingly uncertain.