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The People of Ostrich Mountain

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The People of Ostrich Mountain

By: Ndirangu Githaiga
Narrated by: Lee Goettl
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About this listen

As the 1950s' Mau Mau war breaks out in the foothills of Mt. Kenya, Wambũi, a 14-year-old girl, leaves her besieged village to join a prestigious boarding school, a half day’s journey away by train. There, she becomes aware of her extraordinary mathematical abilities discovered by her teacher Eileen Atwood.

Initially, Wambũi views Eileen’s attentions with suspicion and hostility, but over time, the two grow close and form a lifelong friendship. Unfortunately for Wambũi, the mid-20th century isn’t ready for a female math prodigy, particularly in Kenya. But she quietly and defiantly takes on the obstacles seeking to define her, applying her unusual gifts in new directions, which ultimately benefits her impoverished family and inspires her siblings and their children to pursue their own dreams.

After 40 years in Kenya, Eileen unexpectedly loses her employment authorization and is forced to return to England, where she struggles to adjust to living in a country she barely recognizes. Meanwhile, Wambũi’s son Ray, a doctor, navigates a fraught visa application process and travels to America to begin residency training; however, his hospital becomes insolvent and shuts down a year later.

He and his colleagues are assimilated into other programs where, as foreign-born physicians, they endure relentless prejudice. As a Black man, he also discovers that the streets of Chicago are sometimes quick to judge, with serious consequences.

A saga of family and friendship spanning five decades and three continents, The People of Ostrich Mountain chronicles the interconnected lives of three outsiders as they navigate the vagaries of race, gender, and immigration.

©2020 Andrew Ndirangu Githaiga (P)2021 Andrew Ndirangu Githaiga
African American Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction
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Literary deep dive into pre & post colonial Kenya

I had heard many great things about this book from other Agikuyu people. The title piqued my interest because I was able to translate it to Mukuru-we wa Nyagathanga, and it brought back memories of being a small child and asking my parents about how our people came to exist.

From the very beginning, I was gripped by the strong imagery and non-linear writing style that captivated my usually very poor attention span. It was the use of Gikuyu words and names that made this all the more an authentic experience for me. I could almost smell the goats and farm life being described.

A good book should take you on an emotional journey. It should warm your heart, it should make you cry, make you laugh, confuse you.
This book did all of these things and more.

I really appreciated the subtle political references that arose without deviating from the plot and the literary aspect of the book. They made me reflect deeply on the things that I hold as fact.

The attention to detail in the imagery; the depiction of places familiar and familiar to me was exquisitely done. In my minds eye, I could see all of the many settings within the book.

I was initially surprised to hear Lee Goettal's voice at the beginning saying Gikuyu words, and wished that the author had read this book or at least a native Gikuyu actor. However, towards the end. I came to appreciate this juxtaposition in performance. The pronunciation of words was good and it almost felt like an intentional choice from the author; contributing further to the complexities around migration, home and belonging explored within the book.

Overall, I would listen to this book again. I would also highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be taken on a literary journey through time, space and nations, with an almost microscopic lens into the intimacies of everyday people who just want to be great.

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