“My life has been interesting — but by no means exceptional. I haven't discovered a cure, led a nation, or scaled Everest. But I have lived through extraordinary times…”

Spanning seven decades and three continents, An Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Seven Decades of Sekuru’s Stories follows Michael Chalk's remarkable journey from his childhood in colonial Rhodesia to his later years in Australia.

Told with honesty, warmth, and gentle humour, these stories weave together moments of joy, loss, and transformation. They reflect a life shaped by history — from the privileges and contradictions of a colonial upbringing, through the turbulence of decolonisation, to the rediscovery of belonging in a new land.

Written for his children and grandchildren, and for anyone curious about how ordinary lives intersect with extraordinary events, Michael — affectionately known as Sekuru, the Shona word for grandfather — offers reflections both intimate and universal.

This is a memoir about family, resilience, and gratitude. Above all, it's a reminder that within the most ordinary lives lie the makings of the truly extraordinary.