The Scorpion House is a memoir of an African childhood that is both shocking and inspiring. It is the story of Fay, a little girl growing up in Rhodesia in the 1940s and '50s within a deeply dysfunctional family. Fay's parents lead chaotic, rootless lives that will leave the reader flabbergasted. Originally from a privileged background, Fay's father becomes a feckless and irresponsible alcoholic. Her unhinged and unpredictable mother neglects her children, but also evokes sympathy as an artistic, animal-obsessed woman trapped in a desperate situation. Seen through the eyes of a child,...