Scan barcode
A review by virginiaduan
Dreams in a Time of War by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
3.0
I first read about this book on Christianity Today's website under their book reviews and was so intrigued! This book really was quite the history lesson on Kenya and an immense culture shock. The reason it took me so long (it was just two sessions of reading separated by a few weeks) is because the subject matter is so hard. It's silly because Thiong'o really doesn't dwell on the suffering (nor does he gloss over it). However, the history of Kenya is a hard thing. It hurts my heart to read about the British doing such crappy things to a proud and wonderful people(s). It angers me.
As such, even though all that history backstory was informative, it also got quite confusing for me. The combination of all these difficult to keep track of names, timelines, and etc. made it hard for me to digest. However, is that the fault of the author if I have such an abysmal understanding of history?
I do recommend the book, if anything just to have the history of Kenya told via a memoir which at least grounds it in reality. Although, perhaps I would've preferred a historical fiction novel instead. Maybe I will check out Thiong'o's fiction (I think they're all set in Kenya).
As such, even though all that history backstory was informative, it also got quite confusing for me. The combination of all these difficult to keep track of names, timelines, and etc. made it hard for me to digest. However, is that the fault of the author if I have such an abysmal understanding of history?
I do recommend the book, if anything just to have the history of Kenya told via a memoir which at least grounds it in reality. Although, perhaps I would've preferred a historical fiction novel instead. Maybe I will check out Thiong'o's fiction (I think they're all set in Kenya).