Great African Reads discussion

I decided to that it most be the top 5 that popped into my mind when I read the post. I have recommended these books to others and they have enjoyed. Also these books inspired me to do more research and to read other books on the topics they presented.

No particular order

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
An Elergy for Easterly - Petina Gappah
King Leopold's Ghost - Adam Hochschild
The In-between World of Vikram Lall - M.G. Vassanji
The next is a tie - both deal with the similar subject and could not decide between the two.
Song for Night - Chris Abani/Measuring Time - Helon Habila

Ooo excellent. I have only read two of these. I have read other books by Chris Abani, though.

Great list, I agree. Other than Abani, I have read them. I have to think which ones would be my top five...

I am curious too learn more about he Mau Mau uprising. Is The In-Between World of Vikram Lallgood for that? Good titles there! I think I gave two of them five stars too.

Chrissie wrote: "I am curious too learn more about he Mau Mau uprising. Is The In-Between World of Vikram Lallgood for that? Good titles there! I think I gave two of them five stars too."

I do not know if The In-Between World.. is the best book I read about the Mau Mau uprising. This book deals more with the East Indian nationals and their relationship with the whites and the blacks, and how it is affected by the changing political environment. So it does touch on the Mau Mau movement. The author is a Canadian national I have often found that some of the best books are written once a person is living outside of the country and looking back at the society country they are writing about.
Come to think about that statement seems to fit the authors in my list.

Marieke wrote: "Ooo excellent. I have only read two of these. I have read other books by Chris Abani, though."

Which two on the list have you read?

I have read Half of a Yellow Sun and King Leopold's Ghost. I thought they were both excellent.

Thank you for your help, Beverly. I have also been considering Blood Sisters too. Both sound interesting.

Chrissie wrote: "I am curious too learn more about he Mau Mau uprising. Is The In-Between World of Vikram Lallgood for that? Good titles there! I think I gave two of them five stars too."
I really like "The In-Between World" a lot, and "The Gunny Sack" by the same author is another of my favorites, but "Coming to Birth" by Macgoye, a British born Kenyan author, is an excellent look at the Kenyan independence period. Ngugi's "Grain of Wheat" is a classic too.

Thank you very much, Andrea. I am on the way to check these out!

Chrissie wrote: "I am curious too learn more about he Mau Mau uprising. Is The In-Between World of Vikram Lallgood for that? Good titles there! I think I gave two of them five stars too."

I just picked up "Passbook Number F.47927" by Muthoni Likimani and its focus is women during the Emergency/Mau Mau period. Can't tell you if it's good or not but if you are interested in that particular angle you might like to look into it.
I also like Coming to Birth. Are you only looking for fiction books?

Yes, there are many good non-fiction books on the period.

Great recommendations here! Rence, please do let us know what you think of "Passport." either here or in any of the book recommendation threads. :)

I do like non-fiction as long as they are not dry and boring. Good authors can write in such a way that history is not merely battles and titles and dates. I like to know how the people living in the area are affected by the historical events.

I know we've mentioned them here before, but definitely Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya and Histories of the Hanged: The Dirty War in Kenya and the End of Empire are both interesting.

Andrea, after reading Petals of Blood, I _really_ want to check those out. Any preference if I was to start with one?

Andrea, I have missed the titles earlier. Now I have added them, and the former is easy to get - on Kindle! Thank you.