14 Unique Books About Kenya You Must Read
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Loading... - Anne Cherop
- 29 Dec 2021
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Discover novels about Kenya from famous and beloved Kenyan authors. Some of these Kenyan books even caused quite the stir upon publication. Imagine going to jail with no charges because of the reaction your story incited…
Then, explore Kenyan literature from popular bloggers and writers, short and noir stories, must-read Kenyan novels providing insight into politics and war, and unique nonfiction books about Kenya including a beautiful graphic novel.
Our Kenya book list is sure to have something for every type of reader. So, what books about Kenya should you read to teach you more and take you there? Let’s get started.
FICTION BOOKS ABOUT KENYA
1. Petals of Blood by NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong’o
On its first publication in 1977, Petals of Blood caused such a reaction that author NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong’o was imprisoned without charges by the Kenyan government.
The story begins with the murder of three African directors of a foreign-owned brewery, who were all killed in a fire. From there we follow four main protagonists – Munira, Karega, Wanja, and Abdullah – who are all suspects in the apparent murders. They relocate from the city to the small village of Ilmorog.
As each character experiences and adjusts to Kenya’s transformation from colonial rule to independence, NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong’o weaves together themes of politics, capitalism, the effects of rapid westernization, and the apathy that comes with believing your leaders will simply continue to fail you, again and again.
NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong’o is one of the most beloved Kenyan writers, and Petals of Blood is one of the most well-known Kenyan novels — for good reason!
2. Thursdays by Jackson Biko
If you want to read modern Kenyan literature about the youth of today and Kenyan culture, read Jackson Biko. Biko is a popular blogger in Nairobi and one of the most popular contemporary Kenyan writers.
His prose in Thursdays is effortless, like chatting with a friend. You can’t help getting pulled into the story. It’s a story about a Nairobi band, the Vina Wira. Most nights they play at a sketchy bar, but on Thursdays, the band tries their luck playing outside a recording label company.
This is a book about a band, but it’s also about so much more than that. In particular, Thursdays is about mental health and how it intersects with modern Kenyan culture.
3. The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange
Wanjiru Koinange’s novel revolves around the infamous Kenyan election of 2007, which caused such civil unrest that hundreds of people died and thousands more were displaced. In fact, it is one of the first novels about Kenya to address this incident in great detail.
As the election draws near, Kavata’s husband Ngugi decides to run for office with the support of her father, a corrupt politician. As the evils of underhanded political machinations begin to infect her home, Kavata plots to escape before it’s too late.
Set in the weeks before, during, and after the election, and following Kavata, her children, and their extended family, The Havoc of Choice reflects on the corruption that blighted Kenyan culture at that time.
The Kenyan novel explores what the course of national healing and rebuilding might look like going forward.
4. The In-Between World of Vikram Lall by M.G. Vassanji
This award-winning piece of Kenyan literature is mainly told in flashback. While living in exile in Canada, the now adult Vikram Lall contemplates his life.
Vik, as we get to know him, covers his coming of age in Kenya in the early fifties – while the country was struggling towards independence – through the transition from hope to corruption as the sixties became the seventies and eighties.
Throughout all this, Vik and his sister Deepa, grandchildren of an Indian rail worker, struggle to find and understand their place in the world amongst the divisions between Kenyans and the British Empire. The novel covers in painful detail the strains on their family, the violence of the Mau Mau radicals, and the dangers of involvement in political corruption.
The In-Between World of Vikram Lall is one of the best historical novels about Kenya and the Mau Mau Uprisings and their aftermath. Read More…
