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Salted with Fire takes place in Kisii on the eve of Kenya’s independence. Central to the story is Dexter Conway, a colonial officer who will be one of the few to remain in Kenya. This suits Conway, who seeks a different life in the newly independent country. The tale begins with a mysterious train wreck. As the story unfolds, Conway becomes enmeshed with Kwamboka, wounded and hidden at Conway’s home by his servant, Maranga. Through Kwamboka, Conway’s relationship with Maranga takes a new turn.
In the surprising and suspenseful story, Arthur Dobrin reverses the effect of a changing world upon the lives of these people in Western Kenya
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Why We Tell Stories
Storytelling was an intrinsic activity in traditional African communities. Typically told by older people, usually grandmothers and grandfathers, stories were a way of life for the young and old alike, linking the past, present and future of those societies. Set as they were around a fire, the storytelling tradition strengthened communal ties between the old and the young, and as reinforced bonds among the young.
Stories emphasized shared culture, cultural values and history that were the foundation of the society’s ties. They underscored important societies’ traditions, beliefs and other norms.
From the old, the young learnt lessons about their community that to affirmed their collective identity. They learnt and internalized moral values such as honesty, courage, respect, solidarity and caring for others. Invariably, stories discouraged greed and selfishness. Further, the tales captured the essence of the environment in which the people lived while reinforcing their core values. They contributed to character-building through appreciation of the moral of the stories.
In Why We Tell Stories, Dorcas Kiptoo and Arthur Dobrin bring their storytelling experiences and expertise to the fore through a selection of from the African folklore. Even as the two look back to societies of yore to dig up the tales, the inherent lessons remain as relevant in contemporary times as they were ages ago.
About the Authors
Dorcas Kiptoo was born in Mogotio, Kenya. She attended Kenyatta University where she earned her Bachelor of Education degree. She currently lives in New York.
The Scavengers
Scavengers is a story of twists and turns in relationships, and personal interests, that all make a complex entangled web in a community that straddles the traditional and modern. It is a tale of widowhood occasioned by close family friends, the clash of views on a widow’s and masculinity’s place in society. … will there is justice? Or even, poetic justice? Moreover, this is a story about a mother who faces challenges in raising a son to become a professional she would be proud of, only to be disappointed that a child, even having qualified into one of the most prestigious professions, can reject it as her dream! He would pursue his own career course!
What others say
“The content is factual. The writer captures real life situations where our goodness, at some point, can cost our lives. Not all good deeds are repaid with goodness.” – Rose Kenya Kong’ani, teacher and editor.
Shifting Sands
Shifting Sands is a gripping narration by Kemunto aka Kemu" to her three girlfriends, all of different cultural heritage. Kemu aspires to be a writer but life with its vicissitudes doesn't make her dream an easy one. We follow the four young girls as they mature in this adventure, growing up and facing the world. Their encounters, surprises and cultural intricacies make for good reading.
Their intertwined lives from a young age, and their different cultural backgrounds and upbringing offer interesting insights. Kemu and Myra are Kenyan Africans while Shilpa is third-generation Kenyan-Indian and Latifah is third-generation Kenyan-Arab. The latter two face questions of nationality all the time, despite that their families have been in the country for generations.
Shifting Sands is an intriguing tale of enduring encounters of living a moral and ethical life, placing its own challenges on friendships cemented from early childhood and school. How will the four ladies' friendship survive?
Shifting Sand's various strands of narratives are compelling and herald the coming of age of a gifted and talented writer who brings women and children experiences hauntingly to life. In this tale we get contrasting insights of issues that impact women, children and relationships. Tradition and cultural practices of old are challenged in the face of modernity while age-old wisdom, like that from Kemu's grandmother (Magokoro) and father, appear immutable.
What Others Say
"Mombasa, a tapestry city where east meets west and north meets south, is the metonymy that gives Moraa Gitaa the opportunity to indict archaic cultural beliefs, government authorities, extremism, the suppression of women, and a whole slew of questionable practices in modern Kenya. Kemunto's voice is that of the archetypal, dignified and upright woman everywhere in the developing world, not just that of the African woman. Quite well said." - Charles Phebih-Agyekum, author and book editor.
"Shifting Sands is a powerful, compelling and gripping narrative employing a mature mastery of the English language that leaves the reader yearning for more." - Excerpt from judges' comments, 2008 National Book Development Council of Kenya Literary Awards.
"Moraa Gitaa's Shifting Sands will add value to the national discourse on gender discrimination, inter-generational tensions, socioeconomic marginalization, HIV and AIDS, the injustices suffered by the poor in this country, corruption, transnational and global connections and their impact on the lives of Kenyans and other nationals residing in the country." - Comparative Literature Lecturer at a Kenyan university.
A Mysterious Woman
A Mysterious Woman is a captivating story of Nyang’arisa, the protagonist and a woman who chose a life of crime for survival. Unlike what society is accustomed to, Nyang’arisa joins a group of men, her ‘business partners,’ to make a living through an unlawful acquisition of what belongs to others.
After some time, Nyang’arisa finds love in a young, hardworking, and loving man, Michael, whom she later marries. The thought of Michael knowing of her life in crime makes her scared and restless. She chooses to lead a mysterious life, with her history hidden from her husband and family. Nyang’arisa builds a new family, her tainted past notwithstanding. However, she lives always looking back over her shoulder with the nagging thought that her past might one day catch up with her.
True to her thoughts, her past catches up with her as she ends up spending the rest of her life behind bars.
Gusii Misiri Migration, Rainmaking, Shrines and Modern Divination
This book is about the Abagusii, Gusiiland, sacred places, sacred people, and religious activities of the community. My late father, William Tinega Mwancha (1928-1994) used to say, “Ntwe basinto b’Oiroba”, meaning, we (human beings) are sons and daughters of the ground (soil). We were formed from the soil and we will eventually return to the soil. For this reason, traditional Gusii elders regard the soil on which they live as sacred.
It is therefore in this regard that any literature dealing with the Gusii must demonstrate an understanding of who the Gusii are beginning with their origin, migration and settlement in the land they dearly love and regard as holy. This is why the Gusii Misiri origin, rainmaking, shrines and divination have endeavoured to document what can be summed as the social life of the community.
Apart from land (soil), the Gusii have special places, items and people that they regard as sacred. Ngoro ya Mwaga, Sakagwa shrine and Igena monto are only a few sacred places and items discussed in this book. Among the many religious specialists in Gusii, the book explores the life and works of Iriasi the 20th-century Gusii rainmaker. Iriasi was allegedly said to be intersex, a condition considered by many people of his time as uniquely religious. To his contemporaries, Iriasi was created that way to perform unusual tasks such as rainmaking, divination, and prophecy.
Further to Iriasi’s nature and religious work, the book demonstrates the relevance of some traditional Gusii religious practices such as divination in modern times.
The Lady who Married a Crow
In The Lady who married a Crow and Other Stories J. C. Makori brings rare tales and storytelling from the past. The stories capture a tradition and wisdom which, if not documented, would disappear all the same.
Storytelling was at the core of the social fabric of the people of the past. It brought together the young and old, and the raw and experienced. Through this interactive process, the community’s cumulative knowledge, experiences and wisdom were passed from generation to generation. The process further cemented the place of the storytellers as custodians of community wisdom, values and history.
In this collection, the author has given a glimpse into that past, the lessons the community treasured and wisdom embedded in the stories. Written in the style of the original oral form, the tales offer lessons, and insights into history and culture that could inform the present and shape the future.
What others say
“The stories in this collection are compelling, painting vivid images in the reader’s mind through immersing the reader in the world of the different characters and the community in which the stories are set! The book adds a much needed African folk tale resource, and can be used as a pedagogical tool and for recreational reading.” – Grace Wangari, Children’s Book Editor.
“This is thrilling collection that would interest readers across age sets. The stories offer moral lessons such as the value of truthfulness, kindness and good relations.” – Bethsheba Nyabuto, Book Designer/Editor.
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