We Are the Water People

by Troy Onyango, Anita Kavuu-Ng'ang'a (Reader), Shiro Kihagi (Reader)

From critically acclaimed author Troy Onyango comes a dark, suspenseful tale of spirits bearing witness to a crime that rocks an island community, based on the Luo legend of the water people.   When fishermen on Nam Lolwe (commonly known as Lake Victoria) return with the body of a young boy found inside the sack, a close-knit island is thrown into mourning, and they all suspect foul play in the death of the child. But who could have committed such a terrible crime, and why? To discover the truth, the islanders must rely on the water spirits beneath the lake's surface - the only souls who serve as witnesses to the vile act.  

Genres: Audiobook, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Africa, Novella

Audio CD

First published October 14, 2021

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good short story, another author that I would like to read more from. Definitely worth checking out if you have Audible.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always I enjoyed the use of the first person plural, and I loved the beautiful narration of this free audible novella, but unfortunately the story felt just okay. I don't think I'll remember it in a week or two, but still worth the listed if you can get it for free.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atmospheric and poetic, Troy Onyango's Audible Original "We Are the Water People” is as deep and mysterious as an unknowable lakebed. I found myself immersed in this eerie tale of a community – human and supernatural – as it tries to process calamity.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok for me...never really got sucked into the story. Quick, short listen that was free with Audible Plus.

[Haze · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Kayla Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently teaching the classic novel, Things Fall Apart, to my high school freshmen, and I was interested to see how this short story (set around the same time) dealt with a similar culture.

I loved the mythology of the tale, and the fact that each social class is allowed to give a perspective on the situation, before the truth is finally discovered by the lowest possible social class. This unique writing style really drew me into the story and helped me understand an unfamiliar culture.

It is a short read, and I was a little wary of that, but the author does a fantastic job with pacing, in my opinion. It's not the thriller I was expecting it to be, but I enjoyed listening. The cast, by the way, is absolutely fantastic.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise, but the execution was lacking.

[Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was beautifully written but I expected more from the ending

[Panda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audiobook (1.5 hours) narrated by Anita Kavuu-Ng'ang'a, Shiro Kihagi, Oheri Otobo

The narration and audio was fine with the exception of one floop which made me laugh out loud. Was funny and would be a shame to spoil it if you share my type of humor.
Listen from 1x to 2x speed, as preferred.

This story sounded fantastic on paper but just didn't do it for me.

While I finished the story, there was no satisfaction.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this audio book - fantastic narration and I liked how the story unfolded. Sure the total final ending was maybe a little predictable, but I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. The author is excellent at descriptions and building suspense. I wish it were longer!

[Kristy Buehler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strange but something I think about often. The description of the beautiful "Night Woman" was a bit much. Shame on all of those husbands. Men are disgusting. Oh sorry, religious men. Religion ruins everything. I wish we knew more at the end. I have so many questions.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a free short(ish) story on Audible. Didn't really care for it much.

[Leo · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5🌟 Good thing I didn’t pay for it.

[Badseedgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was slow burn story, maybe too slow. I had a hard time keeping focused while reading/listening to it.

[Tahoora Hashmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5
While the plot became predictable it's the writing style and the setting that kept me hooked and wanting to listen to more of it!

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting. I quite enjoyed it.

[Lisa]

I read this in Kenya not far from where the story takes place. It’s a short story and the narrative/adventure plays out in little vignettes, giving us views of the culture and beliefs as well as one way justice can happen.

[c00l_read · Rating 1 out of 5]

Um, chill, anyways so…

[John Wiswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richly imagined with sterling prose.

[Tameekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gets more engaging as it goes along, I liked how the different perspective read the same situation very differently, depending in their biases and prejudices and life experience.

Not bad.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very immersive tale, I really enjoyed all the different points of view.
My only complaint is that it flew by too quickly. It's perhaps too short.

[Edie Kennard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrators were awesome. The story was challenging to follow a few times. It gave excellent folklore feelings.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was incredible. It is great to explore mythology from another country and here the water is the main character, enriching the plot with vivid descriptions and emotions. Highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Roger Kerse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t impress me

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivid imagery, intense emotion, not particularly plot-heavy. I listened to it on audible because it's short and included in the membership. The narration there is really emotive, and I'll definitely listen to it again.

[Rebecca Rankin · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was very repetitive especially for how short it is. I felt like the whole book was giving the reader 10,000 back ground details just to know what's going on. Like most of the story was over before the book started.

[Victoria Pring · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I understand what the author was trying to do but I feel like this book was just too short to acchieve it. This is a book about religion. The people are guided into another religion but still hold their original beliefs, just now with the extra added benefit of judgement. I felt sorry for the girls in this book, it all felt very unfair for them. We were given no real chance to form an attatchment to the young boy who's name I cant even remember (which really proves my point) which seems a pity and I listened to the ending twice and Im still not 100% sure on why certain things happened. It was a free audiobook though so cant complain too much.

[Mia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several time a year I try to read some stories or books from authors outside of the United States. I find it helpful to read books that are translated into English to understand how other countries and cultures view the world.

This is a simple little short story and I read it in about 1 & 1/2 hours. It's broken into multiple parts and each part with various chapters and in different POV's. We see things from the men's Point of view, the women's point of view, the spirits point of view and the "night women" (meaning whores) point of view. This means that the story plot weaves together as you read. The first part of the story will confuse you, that is intentional. Just keep going and it all gels together in the end.

Ultimately this is a murder mystery who-done-it. When the body of a young boy is found in the lake, the African village goes on a spree of misery and suspicion, with rumors swirling everywhere as to what could have happened to the child. But the people they suspect the most, the Night women, also know the most about the villages dark secrets and desires and are best equipped to solve the issue despite everyone suspecting them.

What is interesting here is you get to see a bit of African village life, the power dynamics and the way that African culture doesn't just believe in spirits as a concept but a reality. The spiritual world is deeply connected to the real world and there is no doubt that the spirits are real and take an active role in the lives of people.

This is just a quick read and if you want something to pass the night away and learn something it can be instructive. It isn't the best mystery short story I've read but it does have a lot of good potential.