BOOK REVIEWS

|WEEP NOT CHILD|

NGUGI WA THIONG’O

In Weep Not Child, Ngugi narrates the story of a young man named Njoroge. Above all, Njoroge wants to be as educated as the son of a rich farmer named Jacobo, who had finished all his learning in Kenya and is going to England for further studies. Ngotho, Njoroge’s father, works for Mr. Howlands, a Caucasian settler from England, and they both share a powerful love for the rich red earth they farm. At school, Njoroge is good at reading: education, he believes, is the key to the future. When Jomo Kenyatta is arrested, and a state of emergency declared, it makes very little difference to the people as they believe Kenyatta will emerge winner in his struggle for an independent Kenya. However, things take a different turn when Ngotho is arrested and tortured for the sympathy he has for the liberal opposition. And when Njoroge’s brothers leave to join the freedom fighters in the big city and forest, the ongoing struggle and war become a day-to-day tragedy for the Ngothos.

This delicate story by Ngugi is a skilful work of art. The writing is terse and well-controlled. It deserves reading for the quality of language and the way it is shaped.