A gripping introduction to Zimbabwe, the Shona people and their ideas about the spirit world. To save her village from a cholera epidemic, 11-year-old Nhamo must consent to marry a stranger. With her wedding day approaching, Nhamo flees her native Mozambique and embarks on a year-long odyssey to Zimbabwe -- a journey fraught with danger from wild animals and malevolent spirits. This rich, rewarding young-adult novel was a Newbery Honor book.  (ZIM09, $7.99)