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nini23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
4.0
This novella set in Nairobi Kenya is deceptively short but has hidden depth. I must admit I underestimated it, I thought it was a relatively straightforward story about a young lady Nyokabi who's lost her brother Baraka to suicide and is given a potion to go back in time to change the outcome. The author starts playing with language and words, fragmenting sections of the narrative.
Haraka haraka,
haina baraka
Time dreamer, time speaker, time carrier.
Lots of what another reviewer has helpfully identified as Kiswahili and Sheng dialogue. Some of the words like maitu I didn't have success translating.
We learn that in the family generations past mental illness was treated as madness. Woven into the historical tale is revolt against British colonialism led by real life Kenyan medicine woman extraordinaire Meketilili. Time becomes one of the narrators.
Haraka haraka,
haina baraka
Time dreamer, time speaker, time carrier.
Lots of what another reviewer has helpfully identified as Kiswahili and Sheng dialogue. Some of the words like maitu I didn't have success translating.
We learn that in the family generations past mental illness was treated as madness. Woven into the historical tale is revolt against British colonialism led by real life Kenyan medicine woman extraordinaire Meketilili. Time becomes one of the narrators.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Bullying, and Homophobia
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