Books from Kenya
36 popular kenyan books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Africa Challenge" were written by authors from Kenya.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
11.
Lemona's Tale by Ken Saro-Wiwa EN
Description:
For a quarter of a century, Lemona has been held in a Nigerian prison, her crimes reflecting her passion and despair, her silence masking the truth. On the last day of her life she is visited by Ola, whose parents Lemona killed. To this woman Lemona recounts the events of her upbringing in poverty, the kindness of friends who took her in, and the abuse, corruption and betrayal by men which led to her downfall. though she is awaiting execution, Lemona's desire to understand the forces that shaped her life resonates throughout her story, leading Ola towards a new interpretation of her own histor... continue
13.
Description:
The U.S. debut of internationally acclaimed poet and performance artist Shailja Patel, Migritude is a tour-de-force hybrid text that confounds categories and conventions. Part poetic memoir, part political history, Migritude weaves together family history, reportage and monologues to create an achingly beautiful portrait of women's lives and migrant journeys undertaken under the boot print of Empire. Patel, who was born in Kenya and educated in England and the U.S., honed her poetic skills in performances of this work that have received standing ovations throughout Europe, Africa and North Ame... continue
14.
No llores, pequeño by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ES
Description:
Ambientada en la Kenia colonial durante el periodo de la Rebelión del Mau Mau, No llores, pequeño retrata la desigualdad que sufren los desposeídos africanos y enfatiza las consecuencias de la lucha contra el dominio blanco.
Dos hermanos, Njoroge y Kamau, sentados sobre un montón de basura, reflexionan sobre su futuro: Njoroge irá a la escuela, mientras que Kamau se formará como carpintero.
Pero esto es Kenia y la realidad juega en contra de sus deseos: en los bosques, el Mau Mau libra una guerra contra el gobierno blanco, y ambos hermanos, junto con... continue
15.
One Day I Will Write about This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina EN
Description:
A groundbreaking memoir by the acclaimed Kenyan Caine Prize winner.
16.
Petals of blood by Ngugi wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
There has been a murder in the Kenyan village of Ilmorog. Four suspects are placed in detention: headmaster Munira, teacher and political activist Karega, spirited barmaid Wanja and storekeeper Abdulla. But there are no easy solutions to the crime in a place already filled with fear and intimidation. As the murder is investigated, it becomes clear how the lives of suspects and victims are inextricably linked to the fortunes of their village, and to the crisis of modern Kenya itself. Petals of Bloodwas published in 1977 to huge controversy, leading to Ngugi's imprisonment for his portrayal of a... continue
17.
Secret Lives and Other Stories by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
'One of the greatest writers of our time' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ngugi wa Thiong'o is renowned for his political novels and plays, yet he honed his craft as a short story writer. First published in 1975, Secret Lives and Other Stories brings together a range of Ngugi's political short stories. From tales of the meeting between magic and superstition, to stories about the modernising forces of colonialism, and the pervasive threat of nature, this collection celebrates the storytelling might of one of Africa's best-loved writers.
18.
Something Torn and New : An African Renaissance by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
Novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o has been a force in African literature for decades: Since the 1970s, when he gave up the English language to commit himself to writing in African languages, his foremost concern has been the critical importance of language toc
19.
The Challenge for Africa by Wangari Maathai EN
Description:
In this groundbreaking work, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement offers a new perspective on the troubles facing Africa today. Too often these challenges are portrayed by the media in extreme terms connoting poverty, dependence, and desperation. Wangari Maathai, the author of Unbowed, sees things differently, and here she argues for a moral revolution among Africans themselves. Illuminating the complex and dynamic nature of the continent, Maathai offers “hardheaded hope” and “realistic options” for change and improvement. She deftly describes what Africans can a... continue
20.
The Dragonfly Sea by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor EN
Description:
When a contingent of cultural emissaries from China invite Ayaana abroad, she embarks on a dramatic ship's journey to the Far East, where she will make friends and enemies; and, at last, find understanding where she least expects it