The Girl Who Escaped From Zanzibar

This delicious, moist, aromatic Pumkin-seed Bread recipe is dairy-free and made using coconut oil for moisture and flavour. 1. Sieve 17oz of strong white bread flour into a bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds 2. Add a teaspoon of yeast to 1 and ¼ cups lukewarm water (test the temperature with a clean finger to make sure it isn’t too hot) and leave it until little bubbles show on the surface 3. Add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil to the water 4. Pour the water, oil and yeast mixture into the flour and mix with a spoon until a dough forms 5. Knead with your hands until smooth and it doesn’t stick to your fingers (if too sticky, put more flour on your hands and continue)  6. Place the dough in a bowl greased with coconut oil and let it rise in a warm place covered by a damp tea towel until it doubles in size 7. Punch the dough down with your fist and shape it into a loaf 8. D

This proved a fabulous opportunity to concentrate on writing with the only distraction being a local beach bar. It was here that I met an Austrian lady who had worked as a midwife on Zanzibar. She gave me startling insights into life on the island today. Apart from needles, all waste from the hospitals goes directly into the sea.

Part Two of Sophie's African saga follows Makorongo's daughter, a girl called Redemption who dreams of becoming a teacher. A work of historical fiction set on the tropical island of Zanzibar, it is linked to the true story of those living life to the full in the heady days leading up to the revolution of 1964 including Freddie Mercury who took his name from the US satellite launching stations on the island, While Freddie returns from India to sing at parties, Redemption gains a job as a cook, learning to whip up exotic dishes for picnics held under palm trees. Her reputation as a chef proves vital as violence tears paradise apart, threatening the Persian community. Freddie sends Redemption in search of the man she loves before desperately finding a way to get his family off the Spice Islands and rescue his music.