A Grain of Wheat, Ngugi wa Thiong'o

This is a powerful book by Ngugi Wa Thiongo and it is set in pre-independence days in Kenya in the early 1950's - 60's. The place, a rural village in the heart of central Kenya, and through Ngugi's eyes, the landscape becomes alive with the sights, sounds and smells of the area. The book is centered around Mugo, a man affected by his childhood, the years in the State of Emergency, and his own demons …

…patriotism that growing up in the post-independence era did not inspire. History tells the facts but Ngugi tells the tale. A book worth reading twice, at least. For all those who lived through the State of Emergency and have never shared their tale of the horror and injustice, it is time the story was told and I feel this is an honorable salute to the lives that we lost and the unsung heroes we forgot.