The novel “Hearts, Hands and Voices”, published in the USA as “The Broken Land”, by Ian McDonald was published for the first time in 1992.

Mathembe Fileli lives with her family in the village of Chepsenyt, where there’s peace despite the religious and political differences between its inhabitants. But when they offer refuge to some rebels who are fighting against the Empire Across the River, they can’t keep it secret and imperial troops arrive and set fire to the entire village, forcing the inhabitants to flee.

Only Mathembe’s grandfather’s head remains, and the girl takes it away with her, because it’s still alive, on her journey in search of a new home and the rest of her family, from which she got separated. In a decaying empire, such a journey is dangerous because grandfather and granddaughter risk having problems with both the authorities and the rebels.