Seven young Zimbabweans are abducted from a remote border village by a group of matsangaise. They are used as porters to carry their booty to Mozambique. After several adventures which test their courage and endurance, they safely return home. Before very long, however, Tapiwa and Ben are sent to town to live with an uncle. Then soon afterwards, their widowed mother dies. But if this were not trouble enough, their guardian uncle is jailed for illegally dealing in ivory and the young boys are forced into living on the street. Patricia Chater vividly captures the adventure and adversities of street life: how one has to be 'streetwise' to survive. She engages our sympathies and helps us to understand certain unpleasant realities from the perspective of two engaging and courageous young Zimbabweans.