Great African Reads discussion

Hello all,

Belated yet again (apologies!), here are some suggestions for our next - very exciting - stopover on the Tour d'Afrique: Kenya!

Feel free to add your ideas here, I'm positive we'll have plenty of books to choose from! :D

Fiction
* A Grain of Wheat, The River Between or Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
* Green Hills Of Africa or True At First Light: A Fictional Memoir by Ernest Hemingway
* Kill Me Quick by Meja Mwangi
* The African Poison Murders by Elspeth Huxley

Non-fiction
* A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons by Robert M. Sapolsky
* Maasai Days by Cheryl Bentsen
* Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
* Unbowed by Wangari Maathai
* West with the Night by Beryl Markham

Any other suggestions most welcome, post them within the next few days so that I can set up a poll by mid-next week!

Thanks, Muphyn.

Osho wrote: "Thanks, Muphyn."

No problem! Sorry it's so late again... :(

Yay! I've been anxiously awaiting Kenya.

I read Wangari Maathai's autobiography, Unbowed: One Woman's Story, earlier this year, and it blew me away. She is a Nobel Peace Prize winner who used her background in biological science (1st Kenyan woman phd, etc) to plant trees to preserve water and agriultural land throughout rural Kenya, and then came to use tree planting as a method of claiming and defending space from government and corporate land grabs, human and women's rights abuses, and corruption. I would love to read one of her other books, like The Challenge for Africa or Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World.

Also, I would LOVE to read anything by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o! I read some of his fiction in college and learned so much history and theory from him.

Definately do not want to read Dinesan, I got halfway through Out of Africa and was pretty disgusted by her casual way of equating Kenyan people with safari animals. I know the writing is supposedly fantastic, but the racism really ruins it.

Matigari, also by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. It is also a 1001 book.

I just finished Unbowed, and highy recommend it!

I have Unbowed and have been waiting for Kenya to come up.

I loved Unbowed, brilliant memoir. Would be happy with anything by Ngugi wa Thiong'o.

What about One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir, excellent for readers interested in Kenya.

Would it be too much to choose one fiction and one non-fiction for this stop? I know some of us also participate in the contemporary lit project, so that would add up to a lot of reading for some, but I think the Kenya stop could generate amazing discussion and lots of learning.

Marieke wrote: "Would it be too much to choose one fiction and one non-fiction for this stop? I know some of us also participate in the contemporary lit project, so that would add up to a lot of reading for some, ..."

I second that, Marieke!

haha if it was Ngugi & Maathai I would definitely try to read both!

Marieke wrote: "Would it be too much to choose one fiction and one non-fiction for this stop? I know some of us also participate in the contemporary lit project, so that would add up to a lot of reading for some, ..."

I think that's a great idea, especially since we kept things a bit lighter with Ivory Coast and Aya. Some people might want to read two books, others who want to not feel too burdened won't have to! :) Either way, I'm sure we'll have some interesting discussions around Kenya!

I'll set up a poll tomorrow (Wed in Australia) so if anybody else has any other suggestions, make sure you post them asap so I can make sure they're included! :)

The poll is up so looking forward to people's votes! Closes on Sunday, April 29.

I loved The African Poison Murders, but it is kind of a "period" book. I am afraid I can't even vote this time as I would love to read anything on the list. I would certainly read two books, also.

I wouldn't put these on the poll because they are hard to get and expensive, but if anyone is looking in general for good Kenyan books, I would also recommend Marjorie Macgoye. I have a Kenya shelf in my books if anyone cares to take a look for more ideas.

Oops, forgot to announce the winner for this stopover!

The winner is: Unbowed by Wangari Maathai

For those wanting to read a second or a different book, the runner-up, a novel, was Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.

I'm going to read Wangari Maathai's The Challenge for Africa now because I've got it on audio, and Unbowed later.

Muphyn wrote: "Oops, forgot to announce the winner for this stopover!

The winner is: Unbowed by Wangari Maathai

For those wanting to read a second or a different book, the runner-up, a novel, was Petals of Bloo..."

Good choice, Muphyn.

Okay, let me see which of these I've got, because I feel like I've seen both of them around here somewhere. Need to clean my bookcases, I guess:)

I got both from the library but plan to start with Unbowed. I'll get a threads started shortly (unless Muphyn beats me to it).

Haha, I can try that, Marieke! ;)

Muphyn wrote: "Haha, I can try that, Marieke! ;)"

goody! because i didn't manage to get to it yesterday. silly me.