At 14, Talia Chiba publishes novel on breadwinners’ sacrifices

By Nelson Geje

Fourteen-year-old Talia Chiba, a learner at Anderson Adventist High School, has published A Breadwinner’s Death, a novel she hopes will encourage readers to recognise the sacrifices of breadwinners and appreciate the support they receive.

The book is now available. For more information, readers can contact +263 775 235 908.

Chiba said she wrote the novel after noticing that some people focus on what breadwinners provide without recognising the pressures and responsibilities they carry.

“Some people see their breadwinners as money-making machines without noticing the burdens they give them,” she said when interviewed on her WhatsApp platform.

The secondary school learner hopes her book will encourage gratitude, patience and contentment, while giving breadwinners renewed confidence to continue supporting their families.

“The central message is you shouldn’t take things for granted,” Chiba said.

She wants readers to understand that providing for a household requires effort and that appreciating what they receive can help ease the expectations placed on those supporting them.

Her father, Mr. Witness Chiba, said he was happy that his daughter understood the efforts parents put into their children’s well-being.

Chiba presents the novel as a worthwhile read for those seeking entertainment alongside lessons about family responsibility, patience, love and kindness.

“This novel entertains you while teaching you valuable life lessons,” she said.

Her journey to publication required persistence. Chiba said her greatest challenge was finding an editor, a search that took a long time before she secured the help needed to move the book towards publication.

“I never gave up,” she said.

The achievement holds personal significance for Chiba, who said she is the first author in her family’s lineage. She sees the publication as a contribution to her family’s legacy and an opportunity to make her parents proud.

“I feel so happy,” she said, describing the excitement of finally having a book she could call her own.

Drawing from that experience, Chiba encouraged aspiring writers to keep working towards their ambitions despite setbacks or discouraging comments.

She urged them not to abandon their manuscripts simply because others dismiss the value of writing a novel.

Having brought A Breadwinner’s Death to publication at 14, Chiba says she intends to continue writing.

“Yes, you can expect more books from me.” She spoke.