Legendary writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o’s debut novel, a powerful story about the tragic effects of colonialism on the lives of ordinary people

‘It is not much that a man can do without a piece of land’

Njoroge has big dreams for the future. Unlike his brothers – Kamau, an apprentice craftsman, and Boro, uncertain and scarred by violence – he wants an education. But this is colonial Kenya, and times are against them. Workers are striking, and in the forests the Mau Mau are waging war against the white government. As Njoroge progresses through his schooling, he and his family must decide where their loves and loyalties lie, even if the choice tears them apart. Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s 1964 debut novel devastatingly shows the tragic effects of colonialism on ordinary lives.

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