Four strong women: Anjali, an Indo-Canadian single mother who eagerly accepts an African posting with her non-profit organization; Grace, her dedicated but dominating colleague, who opposes her; Fatimah, a farmer ousted from her home and fertile farmland, whom Anjali befriends; and Mary, Anjali's kindly maid, who must secure the future of her son, Gabriel. In Land for Fatimah, Anjali involves herself in Fatimah's quest to find new land for her scattered community, and is thrown into a web of intrigue that upturns her safe, orderly world. Capturing the warmth and vitality of Africa, illuminating everyday heroism, the novel explores expat life, the forced displacement of the poor and the complexities of development.

Veena Gokhale started her career in the mercurial world of print journalism in Bombay, in the 1980s. She first came to Canada on a journalism fellowship, returning to do a Masters in Environmental Studies in Toronto. After immigrating, she worked in communications for non-profit organizations, which included a two-year stint in Tanzania. She has published fiction and poetry in anthologies and literary journals, and read from her work. In 2011, she received a grant from Vivacité Montréal, Quebec Arts Council, to write her first novel. She is currently marketing that book. She lives in Montreal with her partner, Marc-Antoine.

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The story hit many of those bitter sweet moments you have when trying to make a difference against all odds. I know anybody who has worked in a developing country or with an NGO will love the book.

Andra Tamburro, Former Director at Water Advocates

Erudite and engaging. The characters are drawn with empathy and compassion. The tension between the exigencies of justice and the demands of bureaucracy is aptly depicted. The protagonist, Anjali, is a complex, multidimensional character, admirable for her attempts to put principle ahead of pragmatism.

H. Nigel Thomas