Helen, or ‘Her Grace’ as Godwin calls his mother, was 90 years old and spending her final months in her London apartment with his younger sister, Georgina.
Godwin’s older sister, Jain, and her fiancé tragically lost their lives in a Rhodesian ambush in 1978, just three weeks before their wedding. At the age of nine, Godwin felt the profound loss of Jain, who had been like a mother to him.
‘Her Grace’ was among the last remaining doctors in Zimbabwe, dedicating her life to serving the people and the country she loved. Godwin’s early years were spent in boarding school, where he struggled to find his place. Throughout his memoir, he highlights the lifelong quest for belonging—a search for ‘home’. At 17, he served in the Rhodesian Bush War, and later, as a journalist covering conflict zones, he married Joanna, an editor. Together, they raised three children: two sons, a daughter, and a beloved dog. He often reminded himself to “parent the child you have, not the child you were.”
In July 2019, Joanna announced that she wanted a divorce, leaving Godwin blindsided. Grappling with the deterioration of his ageing and dying mother, he is faced with the end of his marriage. “The soft oblivion of sleep, that merciful release from consciousness, still eludes me,” he reflects.
In search of healing, he decided to try psychedelic treatment, inspired by early studies suggesting its effectiveness in treating PTSD, depression, and addiction. During his treatment , he experienced vivid visuals that symbolised the trials he had experienced over his lifetime and across the globe.
Godwin’s storytelling is both vulnerable, emotional and detailed. He uses metaphors, analogies, and descriptive language to draw readers into his world.
From his childhood in Zimbabwe to a family cottage in New York, then to Georgina’s apartment in London, where they visited the graves of their ancestors, and ultimately to Kyiv, where he reported on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. His memoir takes readers on an imaginative journey across continents, making them feel as though they are meeting the characters he describes. But the book can become a challenge if English is not your first language.
Exit Wounds is Godwin’s latest memoir released in September. His previous works include Mukiwa, a coming-of-age memoir; When A Crocodile Eats The Sun, which reflects on his parents; and The Fear, detailing the murder and torture inflicted in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe's regime.
Exit Wounds by Peter Godwin is available at Exclusive Books
Cape Times