Best of
Kenya

2013

Msomi and Me


Brian Connell - 2013
    Through many delightful anecdotes, he demonstrates the majestic yet fragile reality which is Africa. Documenting his observations and often humorous interactions with his Zulu cohorts, Connell transports the reader to the timelessness of the tawny land he is so passionate about. Set in a time and a place of racial tension, the characters are united by a common goal and respect for each other.Having embarked on the road less travelled, Connell eloquently and enthusiastically describes his adventures in breath taking detail. His tales of the animal kingdom are wonderfully entertaining and informative. A must read for Africans and non-Africans alike, Msomi and Me will delight, amuse and inform from the beginning of the dream to the poignant ending.

Den of Inequities


Kinyanjui Kombani - 2013
    Gosti, the local mugger, comes home to find his long lost father, who seems to have great plans for him, or what does he want? On the other side of town, Aileen’s seems to have everything: she is the reigning Miss Campus, daughter of a renowned politician and a ‘cool life’. A misadventure in a matatu changes her life, for ever. What do these three characters have in common? And who is killing police officers so brazenly? And is the counter attack justified?

Of Goats and Poisoned Oranges: More Surprises Than Thika Road


Ciku Kimeria - 2013
    In reality, there is also a small possibility of the coin landing on its edge. In this book we explore the tumultuous marriage of a middle aged Kenyan power couple as it is told by different parties in their life. On this riveting journey across the foothills of Mt. Kenya and the chaotic streets of Nairobi, the reader will learn that the truth is not a universal concept, but one that is dependent on the person telling the story.

The Elephants in the Room: An Excavation


Martin Rowe - 2013
    By examining the two women's memoirs (Unbowed and Love, Life, and Elephants), both of which were launched following talks at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, these metaphorical elephants in the room are combined with a study of the exploitation of actual elephants on the continent of Africa, and the iterations of memory that are disclosed or hidden in the writing of memoirs and the collecting of bones for museums. Like elephants themselves, The Elephants in the Room ranges far, analyzing work by Joseph Conrad, Robert Pogue Harrison, Barbara Gowdy, Willard Price, George Orwell, Adam Hochschild, and others.