Dance of the Jakaranda [Paperback]

Kimanis descriptive and inventive prose recounts personal stories of love and tragedy within a context of racial hierarchies and the fallout of colonial rule . . . Babus story feels weighted by history in a way that will remind readers of Gabriel Garc?a M?rquezs work . . . Kimanis complex novel will leave readers questioning the meanings of citizenship and belonging during an era of significant social upheaval in Kenyas history. Kimanis novel has an impressive breadth and scope. His illustration of the construction of the railway from Mombasa to the hinterland of Kenya in the early 20th century follows three men  a British colonial administrator, a Christian preacher, and an Indian  whose lives have intersected in unexpected ways. Peter Kimani, an acclaimed writer and poet, has brilliantly constructed this novels plot . . . [His] lyrical prose, such as portraying the train as a massive snakelike creature, and his breathtaking descriptions of Gods country bring the beauty of the land before our eyes. A rich tableau of layers and textures . . . The book has some brilliant moments of vivid and evocative writing. African colonialism is confronted in this subtle, multilayered Kenyan tale . . . Lyrical and powerful . . . Kimani weaves together a bitter, hurtful past and hopeful present in this rich tale of Kenyan history and culture, the railroad, and the men and women whose lives it profoundly affected . . . This is a thoughtful story about a countrys imperialist past.