The Uncertainty of Hope aptly captures how precarious the future is for the inhabitants of Mbare, Zimbabwe in 2005.<BR>Through the rich and complex lives of Onai Moyo - a market woman and responsible mother of three children - and her best friend Katy Nguni - a vendor and black-market currency dealer - we are given an insight into the challenges that face those who only survive by their wits, their labour and their mutual support.<BR>The stories of these two close friends are situated in a high-density suburb. However, the author, Valerie Tagwira also introduces us to a much wider cross-section of Zimbabwean society: Tom Sibanda, a young businessman and farmer, his girlfriend, Faith, a university student, Tom's sister Emily, a health professional, and Mawaya, the ostensible beggar.<BR>With depth and sensitivity, Tagwira pulls these many threads into a densely woven novel that provides us with of some of the many faces of contemporary Zimbabwe.