Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down and had a child—a beautiful, bright, mischievous boy who was the center of her life. Tracy planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously deep in the stunning Colorado mountains, devoted to raising her son. But tragedy forces her to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, this superb con artist, jewel thief, computer wizard, and cat burglar returns to the hunt, more dangerous, ruthless, and reckless than ever. The world faces a new terror threat from Group 99, a diverse collection of global hackers intent on the collapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When the group turns to violence—kidnapping an American investigative journalist, shooting a British military hostage, and blowing up an international industrialist—the mysterious woman pulling their strings, a wily and wealthy American known only as Althea, becomes the CIA’s most sought criminal. But their only hope of finding her is a woman with a dark and dangerous past of her own. A woman who has also successfully evaded detection by the authorities around the world: Tracy. Convinced that Althea is behind the deadly act that shattered her life, Tracy sets out on a global hunt to flush out her prey. But as she soon discovers, the truth is as elusive as her target. Hampered by corruption, lies, and enemies masked as allies, Tracy will be pushed to the brink, where she must face her darkest demons. All of her experience tells Tracy that the answers are right in front of her—if only she can look at the clues in the right way. Propelled by an unquenchable thirst for revenge, and with the fate of so many resting in her hands, just how reckless will Tracy become when she has nothing left to lose? An addictive tale of espionage, mystery, passion, greed, betrayal, and vengeance that takes you from the beautiful Rocky Mountains to Europe’s oldest and grandest cities, filled with a cast of intriguing characters both new and familiar, Sidney Sheldon’s Reckless is a glamorous thrill ride that will leave you breathless until its shocking end."
ISBN:2147483647
Author:Sidney Sheldon, Tilly Bagshawe
Nduta –
The way Muthoni weaves the stories of the three generations together is so captivating. You will find yourself relating to a piece of each character. It was bittersweet to get to the last page, it felt too soon. Also…that ending!!!
David –
The Leaves of May , is a game changer , a light shedder in the literature world and in the world today .
Curling up with Leaves of May as a reader I felt more intrigued to read more of your work . I could feel your reverberations as I read this
Gem . Also I felt a deep resonance with the compelling range of themes that you have well outlined in the book . How you transverse the reader from ancient times to modern times , old life to new life is magical .
Also the way you tap into the Readers imagery , variated the moods and times from Happiness, sorrow and grief is lovely .
The Different POV’S you have used in the story make it easy to express feelings , thoughts, motivations and Experiences. As a reader I was able to get a 360 Degree view on the plot thus creating a compelling rich narrative. Building rapport , building intrigue and narrative empathy flowed freely due to the plot craft .
The African culture is well illustrated in the book , as I read this Gem , I felt a part of me in it as I mesmerized about oral traditions and literature that we used to learn some time back in school .
Stripping ones tradition , culture and identity is painful , I antipathy that the Rimi , Fudzi And Vhimi had to go through all this in the hands of the Angletterians who were preaching the new profound salvation and labeling their traditions as evil and barbaric , yet the horrors they spread on the motherland were catastrophic. It is sad that we as the people have forgotten our roots , our stories and songs of our forefathers are now a thing of the past , Cheers to all those who have held strongly on their traditions and beliefs , may they live long for they are our only beacons of hope and Heritage .
Reading this Gem reminded me of my grandma who recently passed away, May her soul Rest In Peace , her lifeline resembles that of Sheche. What a great honour it was to have interacted with her in her Golden Years . The world needs more people like Sheche who can stand up for what they believe in .
The imperial stag reminded me of my my late Grandpa , he used to work at them around Railways in Nairobi and Mombasa , he used to trade stories about this places at the fire place as we ate Arrow roots and drunk milk from our cow which went by Name January, even our pet Tiger joined Too as we listened and drowned from this sweet stories from a man we truly admired .
Marvin’s Mala lack of acceptance of election results resembles the political culture in Kenya , where certain political key figures will never concede defeat and they are willing to do anything to get a share in the government even if it means creating chaos in the name of fighting for the citizen . Nherera’s Bar And Restraunt reminded me of what we citizens go through from politicians, as they drive their selfish agendas in the name of helping us , yet we elect them to serves and present our ideologies, instead they have the game reserved , they use as pawns for their agendas , gains and view the roles they are supposed to perform as favors they do to us .It is sad that the ethnical cleansing went down and resulted in the worst civil war the country had ever experienced..
The gas lighting effects of war on the citizens are well outlined in the book . We as the citizens we’re are the ones who usually suffer and lose at the end of the day . For me I think the only way to turn this around is to stay away from politicians or leaders who are self centered and let their rich bloodline do the bidding and war waging for them , but the issue with us is that we forget easily and quickly .
Even before our woulds and scars heal up .They use money to laminate and antidote our wounds and minds as they engrave and dig deeper our graves , I don’t know who else can save us now !
Only self reflection at a individual level can do the magic and Reading leaves of May for enlightenment, luckily we have you .
Nherera is the typical man in today’s world , a man for himself first that’s the world we’re are living , filled with uncanny intuition. Nherera deserves to be in a dark isolated maximum security prison for his evils , where the hidden dark lords are housed by lice and darkness but he seems like he understood the saying “ never let Any calamity go to waste “
I felt sorry for May for all the bullying she underwent from her parents in law as her husband Amani watched and said nothing . As a man I felt betrayed by Amani , Amani is not the ideal man to get married to ,he lacks masculinity traits , he is a docile man who can’t even stand up for himself or his wife as he used to be being mollycoddled. I am happy that May took matters in her own hands and went all all guns blazing on the Munozani’s for treating her like shit .
Sheche too underwent a rough time , imagine having no say in whom to Marry despite loving him , if this is not oppression what is it then ? Can we call it brutality or emotional torture ! I feel likes it’s a combination of them both . The fact that her stepdad advances to a level of beating him for loving a man it’s barbaric and he even has a say on whom to marry and when is sad . Thanks Muthoni for Highlighting this vice evidently well , although it may seem as a thing of the past , it is still present in our modern society today
The 2nd Exodus war was personally witnessed by my two favorite friends my forebears both of them now deceased . What the Angletterians did to Sheche and her people is not different to what the British did in Kenya , I feel no one deserves the horror and the pain they inflicted . They wiped out our bloodline in the most inhuman way , they used alive people as shooting targets to harness their shooting skills at concentration camps , where they had people locked up and treated them like animals , mine were based in Manyani Camp , Near Mtito wa Ndei , I am sure you have had of this place .
It’s funny and ironical that betrayal comes from the people close to you , your close allies , your helpers who then turn to tormentors and betrayers.
I wonder whether Sheche forgave Paul for what he did !
For what he did was a layered betrayal!
May Character in the book was crucial , it shows us that we can do it , in our own introspective ways to reconcile the past and go boldly in the future .
“Every man is said to have a peculiar ambition , whether it be true or not , I can say for sure , I have no other so great as that of being truly Esteemed of my fellow men , by rendering myself worth of their esteem .How far I shall succeed in gratifying this ambition is yet to be developed “_ Abraham Lincoln
I am a big fan of men with Ambitions and Henry happened to be one of them .
Reading The Leaves of May to me , I found solace , Home , it is A Great Read that I will read And read and read all over again and again .
I highly recommend this Master piece to all the readers , for it has in it life , it’s Home and it has solace
This Book has all the ingredients that make a Great Read .
Muthoni your Writing Charisma And Craft is on Top , I love it ! , keep it up!
I smell A Nobel coming .
Thanks for giving us hopes for a prosperous future .
Looking forward to more Reads from you this Great year .
Catherine –
When I got the book I didn’t know what to expect. I love it when the title fails to give clues. Also was May a person or the month of MAY?
The story flow was so we’ll put I could visualize all the scenes right from the wasp😁
The country Alkebulan, though fictional feels like a real place, a place one has been to. Then the three women all with their unique stories and I didn’t feel lost on which woman was narrating what part all through the book.
Then the unexpected ending!
And here I am dying to know who finally won May’s heart 💜
Great book. Looking forward to the next one.
David –
The leaves of May is indeed a Masterpiece, it encompasses all the ingredients that make a Great Read .it is very easy to resonate and relate with the book due to its wide range of compelling themes that have been well outlined in the book .Muthoni rarely misses a trick , Reading this Gem was A bonanza of Excitement to me , I found solace and Home in it .
Muthoni Maina’s Writing Charisma And Craft is on Top , I loved it from the first page to the last page .
The Leaves of May is definitely the Gem you wanna have by your shelf for its GrandEpic 🌟
Osuri –
Maybe because of the book’s title and vibrant cover, I initially believed it to be a poetry book. Muthoni Maina has penned a masterpiece. Important themes that impact us in today’s society have been highlighted through in-depth accounts of three women: May, Lili and Seche. Alkebulan’s sociopolitical and economic environment has been well depicted. The book explores various topics, including those related to religious beliefs, cultural practices, family dynamics and historical perspectives. Lessons on honesty, truthfulness and frankness are among the life lessons that have been emphasised throughout the book through sayings and salient ideas. It was not until I read the final chapter of the book that I realised the significance of the title. The author’s narrative skillfully portrays an existing state by means of evocative descriptions of detention camps and the hardships of daily life in Magha, among other instances. The origin of “Kahgoo” is equally fascinating. The book has been contextualised through the use of both “sheng” and Kiswahili. It is quite admirable that the translated text is used next to the various “source languages”. It fosters understanding and learning. The political inclinations of the Rimi and the Fudzi contrasted to the Vhimi is also quite well expounded. All these are relatable to the reader (more so if they are from Kenya, but it is applicable to most African states, too). Finally, the author’s use of the first person in writing is persuasive and draws the reader to what is being discussed. The readers remain part of the story because of the descriptive language used, a feat many authors are not able to achieve. A well-written novel, keep up the good work!
Laura (verified owner) –
Ahhhh, I am finally done with this MASTERPIECE! Leaves of May took me on an intense and captivating journey and I love love love Muthoni’s writing style. To me, it is one of the most striking aspects of this novel. Muthoni has masterfully woven a tale of love, resilience, and self-discovery in this literary gem. Kahgooooo!
SAMMY Keter –
A beautiful African story told in a movie like kind of way.The writer paint’s a picture of the troubles women go through and get looked down upon while men on the other hand walk Scot free. It made me respect single mothers alot.Another issue that I felt came alive in this book is the issue of social class and how being wealthy get’s you alot of friend’s and priviledge as compared to being poor.A good read.
Montana Njaaga –
The Leaves of May is well written, it is relatable and it evokes various emotions- from anger, nostalgia, joy… isn’t that what a good book should do? I can’t wait to read Book 2 of this Trilogy. Muthoni, keep it up!
Stanlee –
The Leaves of May is a poignant and emotionally charged novel that skillfully weaves together the threads of family, resilience, and the enduring power of secrets. May’s journey to reunite with her long-lost father takes readers on a rollercoaster of emotions as she confronts her past and redefines her future, proving that there is indeed life after divorce, even in the face of society’s judgments. The author’s vivid storytelling immerses readers in May’s world, allowing them to feel the weight of her memories that linger through the years. As a hidden secret begins to emerge, the novel takes an intriguing turn, leaving readers on the edge of their seats, wondering how May’s determination to protect her son from the truth will ultimately unfold. The gripping tale of love, family, and the indomitable spirit of a mother’s sacrifice will resonate with readers long after the final page is turned. Great work @MuthoniMaina
Patience –
It was a Great Read and I really did enjoy each and every page
Wairimu W –
The Leaves of May is a beautifully written book following the lives of three women. Sheche was the most interesting character for me. Her secretive nature was puzzling and I was really itching to know the big secret as I read the whole book. I also liked the seamless transitions from May to Lili and Sheche. The stories of the different tribes resonated with me as I looked back at African history. All in all, I enjoyed the book. It was a great read!
Kudos @Muthoni and I look forward to your next book!
Ngure Murigi –
The Leaves of May is an outstanding book, rich in the way each story unfolds one after the other leaving the reader in anticipation of wanting to know what will take place next.
A student/teacher reading this book also gains the most not only in the African way of narrating a story but also from the rich language used, helping him/her to improve in their language papers.
Elizabeth Grace –
As I read through the ‘Leaves of May’ my conscience halted for a moment for such a noble talent in Muthoni Maina! What an interesting book that stirred historical stories and also caused emotional twists for love, joy, pain & loss? It brings about 3 women, 3 generations on marriage and family views and the fact that single mothers go through quite a hard time especially when it comes to marrying off a daughter. Not leaving political and traditional way of life by different communities. I pray that this talent will keep on soaring on higher and higher❤️
Martin Wanjohi –
Overall, it’s a great work of writing.
I struggled with the beginning but liked it a lot as I progressed with the reading. I appreciated the unexpected twists and turns, the story of Henry and Lili, and the very emotional part of the war of independence. The ending was very surprising and interesting.
Overall, a great beginning – it shows great potential of the writer.
Jacob Aliet –
Told from multiple points of view, leaves of May is a stirring story of love, pain, loss, rivalry, corruption, and separation between generations of children of Alkebulan.
The protagonist, May, a delicate lady estranged from her father, meets Amani, and falls in love. Upon getting engaged, the two lovebirds go to Amani’s parents to declare their marriage intentions.
Rather than meet acceptance, May is rejected and scorned by her prospective in-laws in a manner reminiscent of Jan Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
As May stumbles from a painful meeting with them to answer a surprising phone call, her world is turned upside down, and her true heritage is revealed when a tragic loss spills out a secret that changes her fortunes.
Muthoni Maina masterfully traces the inter-tribal divisions between Alkebulan people across centuries. From a mythical past, a colonial period, to the present day, she shines a bright light on the genesis and agents of the divisions, their destructive effects, and how they impact generations and tear apart families.
Her infusion of politics, tribal rivalry, cultural norms, and class warfare into family drama is remarkable.
Alexander –
Let me begin by saying that the author’s description of events and persons is just outstanding. The plot is also amazing, how every character in the book has a role and an unique story of their life.
Sheche, from her childhood has been through a traumatising experience but all through her motherhood she becomes overly protective of her own offsprings and secretive.
Lili comes to the picture as a loving wife and mother. She is experiences a tough experience, the husband is cheating with Rose but for the benefit of the family.
May, who in my own thoughts is the protagonist, is loved and not loved at the same time. She is not valued by the fiancé’s parents or anyome for that matter. But she knows who she is and what she wants.
The book teaches me the following:
Sheche: Everything that happens in ou life gives us a choice to take. Our decisions should at times be anchored to the best interest of those we care about.
Lili: a mother’s love surpasses all others.
May: the value of light is seen in darkness. Yet again, one is not guided by the worldview of others but also by their own moral discipline, principles and convictions.
Quite a captivating book, I highly recommend.
Allison Wallace –
If you ask me what I enjoy in a book, it would be a book with issues to discuss, a backdrop of cultural interest and a plot with tangible characters.
The leaves of May has all these ingredients. A must read!
PeterMoses Muia (verified owner) –
The Leaves of May is not just a good read, it’s a piece of art about Africa, through a lineage of women, incredible women.
If you haven’t read it, you have missed out. I would encourage any and all peoples to grab a copy.
Thank you Muthoni for being an African storyteller, a voice so much needed in this day and age.
Wambaire –
I appreciated The Leaves Of May for its fascinating explanation about the African traditions and culture. Muthoni
Maina also brought about challenges women of different generations face when trying to make it. I highly recommend it to all.
Jethro –
Great read! The author very easily gets us into her world, a world we can relate to as Africans especially those keen on African, and Kenyan history over the last decade or so. I would highly recommend it to all.
Rita Munyiva –
Such a great read! Getting the story from three perspectives was amazing. As a lover of history, it had me, hook, line and sinker. Muthoni succeeded in making the characters human and relatable. Loved how May chose herself at the end.
This book is a must have for all avid readers.
Can’t wait for her next work!
Blake Roet (verified owner) –
A great novel that explores family dynamics that I, and no doubt other readers, could relate to overlayed with a historical Kenyan perspective. I look forward to the her next novel.
Naisula –
I have now read your book for the second time .Thank you! The leaves of May….. it is like a mountain well,trickling down the longed for water that quenches the thirst of ……love, knowledge,hope, wisdom, courage and encouragement in an organic manner. It is a story and stories worthy reading over and over again.There in, is a path way to deep discerning and learning for both the young and the old. It leads to reasoning divine,and tells of righteousness in whispers,which lowers as they keep on interchanging to very powerful melodies. These continue to give way to soothing tunes. It is ….is a nourishment to all generations and more to the mothers.
Muthoni, you are a hero. I am very moved by your write up.So Keep going, we are waiting in a listening mode. You have done well. You are blessed to bless. So keep on enriching others.Girl you are great!!
Christian –
A great read from start to finish. The characters each have their own fleshed out personality and the world around them feels alive. Each flaw, each redeeming quality, the beauty and ugliness of individuals and of society are explored in a way that compels you to look within.
Looking forward to where Muthoni takes us next.
altoawori (verified owner) –
A beautifully written book brimming with secrets, intrigue and injustice, “The Leaves of May” tells the story of African culture through the lens of 3 women living in different times, all trying to find their place in it and learning about themselves in the process. Definitely looking forward to this author’s next work!
Esther Muchiri –
The Leaves Of May is such a great read!
A story of the lives of African women, their struggles to make it in life.
A secret kept for so long but in the end it’s revealed.
The interactions of the different characters illuminate the diversity of the African Culture and History, this was mind blowing.
Grab your copy today.
Martin Kigondu. –
An impressive first novel by Muthoni! She has created a world that exalts the colours of tradition and culture without hiding the fact that blood and envy are coloured too. Through the eyes of three women in different times, Muthoni uses her evident prowess in prose to make their experiences as imaginable, relatable and human. A great read filled with love and laughter, dance and drama, hope and despair. We want more!! When’s her next book out? 🙂
Edwin O. –
Leaves of May is a great way to engage with our recent history. Shows how a society can be designed and how the results follow for generations, maybe forever. It gave me a reason to learn more about our unofficial past.
Erik –
I enjoyed the book immensely. liked the way the story was told by 3 generations. I enjoyed the fictional history and wish i knew more. Like the not being allowed to drink coffee was interesting
Fatma Muhaji –
What a great read. The way each character was brought out and how everything just connected was truly amazing.
Definitely a good read!
Tupac Kiptoo –
💯 recommend this book. Shows how Africans should no longer tolerate others to define us, and also the key roles women play in our society. You get quickly immersed by the events as they are very relatable in our African context not mention the emotional roller coaster involved. Looking forward to more books from the author.
MUKIMBA RAHEDI –
This book was a great read. The author has an amazing way of guiding you into her world and allowing you to identify emotionally with each character. I love the rich reference to history.
MASTERPIECE
Definitely would recommend it.