Before the Rooster CrowsEast African Educational Publishers, 2002 - 174 pages This is the story of Muriuki, a young man from a Kenyan village who leaves him home and back-breaking job on a coffee plantation for the city, to pursue wealth, and happiness with his childhood sweetheart Mumbi. But life is not straightforward for the young lovers who become steeped in the quagmire of Kenyan politics, and are confronted with the sophistication of a new world, its economic hardships and brutality, and the racism and persistent inequities of the post-colonial and global society. Then Mumbi is murdered on account of her activism and race, in lineage with so many of her country's historical and fictional female activists. Muriuki avenges her death in a controversial act which reverberates historically and throughout the society in which he lives. But then he experiences betrayal by his own people, which changes him irrevocably. |
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answer appeared arrived askari asked beer blue called CHAPTER clothes cold court dark dead Desertstorm door explain eyes face father fear feel fell felt fire followed friends further gave Gichagi girl give going hands happened head hear heard heart judge killed Kimachia knew later leave light live looked mean mind Mkweli mother Mumbi Muriuki never Ngugi wa Thiong'o night offered once pain passed play promise question realised remember round seemed served shilling shouted silent sister smile someone sound stand stood stop story suddenly tears tell things thought told took tried turned village voice waiting walked Wanjira wanted watched whispered wish witnessed woman women wondered young