RaveWorld Literature TodayWhile few writers hold their fingers against the pulse of postcolonialism, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has charted its very heartbeat ... With Minutes of Glory and Other Stories, Ngũgĩ assembles the quintessential collection of short stories spanning the length of his literary career ... Though the collection’s third part also contain its eponymous story, the preceding movement, \'Fighters and Martyrs,\' carries the most weight. Minutes of Glory’s final three pieces seem almost auxiliary, as if to only give one a better sense of Ngũgĩ’s musings in retrospect. This aside is not inappropriate but would have perhaps been better woven into the text’s earlier works. Structural weaknesses aside, Minutes of Glory is still a necessary staple of Kenyan literature. Ultimately, the text offers an insight deeper into Ngũgĩ himself than any other form of his prose possibly can.
Ondjaki, trans. by Stephen Henighan
RaveWorld Literature TodayOndjaki’s prose pulses with life ... his emphasis on mundane interactions and their conversational subtleties ensures the novel’s gravity ... Transparent City can still feel a bit eclectic at times, but more so due to the text’s insistence on reflecting a whole city’s demeanor. Some moments, such as the numerous exchanges between a seashell seller and a blinded curmudgeon, shine with an unexpected clarity ... Notably, Stephen Henighan’s translation never appears to soften Ondjaki’s voice, preserving tonal subtleties amid the English adaptation. Ondjaki instills a sense of urban congestion throughout his discourse without unnecessary convolution ... Transparent City is at its strongest when it is momentary with its prose ... Ondjaki successfully reconciles the utility of a consistent narrative thread while maintaining an utterly unique form of transmission.
Mia Couto Trans. by David Brookshaw
RaveWorld Literature Today\"The first entry in a planned trilogy, Mia Couto’s Woman of the Ashes is a beautiful and grotesque force interweaving history with myth ...Couto’s prose carries the weight of a creation story in nearly every passage ... Woman of the Ashes is a strong, independent piece, building a world on the verge of a cataclysmic transition. The tug-of-war between both Imani’s past and future lives is in constant flux and proves itself the catalyst for most of the novel’s action. The novel is just as concerned with cultural longevity as it is mortality, and the battle of both never strays far from the discourse itself. However, the nature of such a subject is both timeless and universal. The upheaval and assimilation of VaChopi parallels both the Syrian refugee crisis and the ongoing waves of urban decay spurred by gentrification within the US. Couto has ensured the staying power of his imminent saga with Woman of the Ashes. Though the young heroine endures a myriad of challenges, the text’s independent strength is careful not to compromise anticipation for the subsequent episode and leaves room for Imani’s growth amid a new and twisted landscape.\
