“Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain.” I Corinthians 15:36
The opening quotation of renowned Kenyan novelist, essayist, and overall legend Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s novel, Grain of Wheat set the scene for his most famous novel about the Kenyan independence movement. Written while in exile, Grain of Wheat grapples with the nascent nation and reflects on creating and sustaining national identity. Prior to moving to Wamunyu and additionally my job as an English teacher, it is my job to immerse myself in local novels and also contextualize current political and social conditions. Coming on November 30th, I will write a full book review of Grain of Wheat. One thing I’ve learned about living abroad is that an understanding of the social, political and economic history of your future host country cannot be understated. Consider if you were immigrating to the United States at the beginning of the (cringe-worthy) Trump Presidency. Without context surrounding the history of nativism, white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism in the United States, his presidency would seem benign. With that, I am already beaming with joy at diving back into Thiong’o’s work and am excited to discuss this novel with my students in Wamunyu as well. As my time progresses in Kenya, I will share more book reviews from both African and African-American authors. Keep reading! It helps us escape reality, albeit temporarily.
In Peace,
M
mariahgoesabroad 