Dance of the Jakaranda - Softcover

Peter Kimani

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846592097 ISBN 13: 9781846592096

Publisher: Telegram Books, 2018

Synopsis

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
Longlisted for the People's Book Prize 2018

1963. Kenya is on the verge of independence from British colonial rule. In the Great Rift Valley, Kenyans of all backgrounds come together in the previously white-only establishment of the Jakaranda Hotel. The resident musician is Rajan Salim, who charms visitors with songs inspired by his grandfather's noble stories of the railway construction that spawned the Kenya they now know.

One evening, Rajan Salim is kissed by a mysterious woman in a shadowy corridor. Unable to forget the taste of her lavender-flavoured lips, Rajan sets out to find her. On his journey he stumbles upon the murky, shared history of his grandfather, owner of the Jakaranda and former colonial administrator Ian McDonald, and British preacher Richard Turnbull, who were implicated in the controversial birth of a child. What Rajan unearths will open his eyes about the birth not just of a child, but of an entire nation.

About this title

Review

'[Kimani is] a raw talent...I have never read a novel about [Kenya] that's so funny, perceptive, subversive and sly.' New York Times, Editor's Choice

'A rich tableau of layers and textures. The book has some brilliant moments of vivid and evocative writing.'Huffington Post

'Brilliantly construed ... an important novel.' --Historical Novel Society

'A memorable family drama set against radical social changes in pre-independence Kenya.' Asian Review of Books

'Destined to become one of the greats...This is not hyperbole: it's a masterpiece.' The Gazette

'Kimani's style is at once dramatic, ironic and full of humour ... an intriguing tale spanning across several generations with exquisite poise ... Kimani's debut is a remarkable portrait of Kenya and its people, delivered with keen insights into history and the basic impulses which direct human action. It is certainly amongst the greatest novels of the contemporary era.' Africa in Words

'Kimani's 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.' LA Review of Books

'In this racially charged dance of power, the railroad into the interior of the country becomes a journey into the hearts of men and women. It is a dance of love and hate and mixed motives that drive human actions and alter the course of history. Kimani's writing has the clarity of analytic prose and the lyrical tenderness of poetry.' --Ngugi wa Thiong'o, author of Birth of a Dream Weaver

'A rich tableau of layers and textures. The book has some brilliant moments of vivid and evocative writing.'Huffington Post

'Brilliantly construed ... an important novel.' --Historical Novel Society

'A memorable family drama set against radical social changes in pre-independence Kenya.' Asian Review of Books

'Destined to become one of the greats...This is not hyperbole: it's a masterpiece.' --The Gazette

'In this racially charged dance of power, the railroad into the interior of the country becomes a journey into the hearts of men and women. It is a dance of love and hate and mixed motives that drive human actions and alter the course of history. Kimani's writing has the clarity of analytic prose and the lyrical tenderness of poetry.' --Ngugi wa Thiong'o, author of Birth of a Dream Weaver

About the Author

Peter Kimani is an award-winning Kenyan novelist. He was one of three international poets to compose and present a poem for National Public Radio to mark Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009. A prominent journalist on Kenya's national news circuit, Kimani's work has also appeared in The Guardian, New African and Sky News. He teaches journalism at the Aga Khan University's Graduate School of Media and Communications in Nairobi, and is presently the Visiting Writer at Amherst College in the United States. Kimani was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for literature, Kenya's highest literary honour, in 2011. Dance of the Jakaranda was longlisted for The People's Book Prize and The Big Book Prize in 2018.

About this edition

• Publisher: Telegram Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1846592097
• ISBN 13: 9781846592096
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352