Tambu is not upset about this because Nhamo studied at a missionary school away from home with his uncle Babamukuru and his family.

During the visit, Babamukuru suggests that Tambu should take Nhamo's place and attend the missionary school by his house.

[3] The Rhodesian female characters face oppression on the basis of gender, and this is a driving force behind many of the story arcs in the novel.

Nervous Conditions has mostly received positive reviews, making it a prominent African and Zimbabwean literary work.

The Africa Book Club recommends Nervous Conditions, claiming Dangarembga’s work to be, "a thought-provoking novel that packs a huge number of complicated ideas into a simple and engaging story.

The novel has been described as an "absorbing page-turner" by The Bloomsbury Review, "another example of a bold new national literature" by the African Times and "a unique and valuable book" by Booklist.

Overall, Nervous Conditions is recognized as a major literary contribution to African feminism and postcolonial literature.