Great African Reads discussion

To help us broaden and deepen our experience with Kenya this year, I decided to open a year-long nonfiction thread. Here we can share suggestions and thoughts about nonfiction books that are not included in our monthly features. These books can also be written by non-Kenyans.

What nonfiction books are you interested in tackling this year?

Just got a copy of Pulitzer-prize-winnter Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya and would also like to read Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire, both recent books examining Britain's repression of Kenyan colonial liberation movements.

Tinea wrote: "Just got a copy of Pulitzer-prize-winnter Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya and would also like to read [book:Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in ..."

yes! those have been on my list for ages. my dad recommended them to me. they came out right around the time he moved to kenya, but i never managed to get around to read them. if i don't this year, there is something wrong with me! lol

Hmm...lots of books that I'm curious about, including (yay) several by authors on the February–December list. Others... perhaps Three Swahili Women (maybe a little outdated by now), Walking Together, Walking Far, and The Last Hunger Season.

Nice, Liralen. These are all new to me. I think I'm very interested in The Last Hunger Season.

Here's 2 more:

It's Our Turn to Eat was recommended by a friend.

And this is new, about Dadaab refugee camp, the largest refugee camp in the world on the Somali-Kenya border: City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp. I just saw the NYTimes review.

Oh yes Our Turn to Eat is supposed to be good. Thanks for the Dadaab link--I saw that today but didn't have a chance to follow up yet.

Oh, City of Thorns! I'm looking forward to reading that too—Radio Congo was pretty interesting.

Liralen wrote: "Hmm...lots of books that I'm curious about, including (yay) several by authors on the February–December list. Others... perhaps Three Swahili Women (maybe a little outdated by now), [..."


I really enjoyed The Last Hunger Season! By exploring the stories of only a few individuals it portrays, in a personal way, how the cycle of rural poverty can be so difficult to break free from along with some interesting information on the agricultural sector in Kenya.

I finished City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp yesterday. I'm keeping it in my currently reading shelf for the moment because i need to write a review. i highlighted a bunch of stuff, so i need to look back at that before writing so i can better say what i got out of the book. In the meantime i'll just say i definitely recommend it!

Hi guys!

I want to make a poll for a group read of a nonfiction book...does anyone have any other recommendations? There are some really great suggestions here.

I've been meaning to read Dreams in a Time of War for ages, though I think this group has already read it. A Primate's Memoir also looks pretty interesting.