The Mau Mau rebellion, as it is often called, which began in Kenya in the early 1950s, was a nationalist, anticolonial armed resistance against the British colonial state.
The guerrilla movement called itself the Kenya Land Freedom Army; the British dubbed the movement “mau mau,” a meaningless name, to obscure the aims otherwise so clear in the resistance army’s name.
Ngugi Wa Thiongío’s Petals of Blood examines, among other things, the betrayal by the postcolonial regime of the ideals of this anticolonial struggle that helped Kenya achieve its independence.
The novel revolves around three men and a woman. The four friends reveal different aspects of their history to each other piecemeal, just as their families had guardedly explained the past to them. The lingering effects of the Mau Mau revolt have affected all their lives and by the end of the novel, each character is wrapped up in his or her own exclusive epiphany about life in Kenya.
Abdullah, the trader, thinks he failed the movement because he did not avenge the death of a friend who was a revolutionary and who was betrayed. Munira, the schoolteacher and eventual wide-eyed prophet, is paralyzed by the shadow of his successful father, who condemned the Mau Mau but aided the crony corruption of independent Kenya. Wanja, the beauty from a broken home, learns that it was two generations of revolutionary fervor that distorted the home she grew up in. And Karega, Thiongío’s union-pushing hero, scrutinizes the history of Mau Mau as if it were a sacred text. Somewhere in that history, they all believe, is the key to wisdom and justice.
Vivian Sharon –
I enjoyed every bit of this book. The fact that it was set in my home county and I could relate with places and people made it even more interesting. The author has a very intriguing way of using humor in serious situations through the main character-Timon Oywelowo. You will laugh and cry with Oywelowo as he navigates his way in life after attaining his BBA degree. Bachelor of Being Around. Also, the use of local dialects made me want to scream with joy. When Jalemo-the man of God, was removing evil spirits and shouting “Guris! Guris! Guris!” I laughed so hard my friend thought I was the one possessed. Fair warning- don’t read it with anyone around you. This is Kenyanese. This is what I signed up for.