3.5
Dance of the Jakaranda
ByPublisher Description
Set in the shadow of Kenya's independence from Great Britain,
reimagines the special circumstances that brought black, brown and white men together to lay the railroad that heralded the birth of the nation.
The novel traces the lives and loves of three men—preacher Richard Turnbull, the colonial administrator Ian McDonald, and Indian technician Babu Salim—whose lives intersect when they are implicated in the controversial birth of a child. Years later, when Babu's grandson Rajan—who ekes out a living by singing Babu's epic tales of the railway's construction—accidentally kisses a mysterious stranger in a dark nightclub, the encounter provides the spark to illuminate the three men's shared, murky past.
With its riveting multiracial, multicultural cast and diverse literary allusions,
could well be a story of globalization. Yet the novel is firmly anchored in the African oral storytelling tradition, its language a dreamy, exalted, and earthy mix that creates new thresholds of identity, providing a fresh metaphor for race in contemporary Africa.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesDance of the Jakaranda Reviews
3.5
“A stunning chronology of the fates of 3 men and their families spanning decades, but told in the lyrical, looping style of oral storytelling. A unique and beautiful take on what could've been "just another historical fiction" novel. I learned so much about the atrocities committed in the name of progress, the destruction of culture, identity and humanity that marks the path of colonialism, and the racial segregation that is enforced indiscriminately as a guise of freedom and liberty. A nice dollop of family drama, relentless gossip, and sly neighborhood uncles give this story a rich flavor despite some plotholes and stunted characterizations.”
“A hilarious historical fiction on Kenya during colonialism and post independence. It was refreshing to read local literature and identify with so much. Most interesting was the background information on post colonial Kenya and the part played by Africans, Indian & Caucasian ethnicities in building of the historical railway as well the uniqueness of each groups personal issues.
John-Sibi Okumu does a stellar job narrating this so if you’re gonna pick this up I highly recommend the audio book”
“With its rich tapestry of history, culture, and human relationships, this novel captivates readers from the very first page and doesn't let go until the final note is struck. Every character was multifaceted and complicated, making them memorable, and unique. The novel plant's different weeds, and build multiple stories that could be entire novels in themselves, however, those weeds are neatly brought together.
Dance of the Jacaranda is a mesmerizing story that weaves together the lives of a diverse cast of characters, whose fates are inextricably linked by love, ambition, and the desire for freedom. It is a book that I recommend to every fellow reader I come across, and will forever remain on my re-read shelf.”
About Peter Kimani
is a leading African writer of his generation. Born in 1971 in Kenya, he started his career as a journalist and has published several works of fiction and poetry. He was one of only three international poets commissioned by National Public Radio to compose and present a poem to mark Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009. Kimani earned his doctorate in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program in 2014, and is a faculty member at Aga Khan University's Graduate School of Media and Communications in Nairobi.
is his third novel.
Other books by Peter Kimani
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