Red Strangers

This wonderful novel tells the story of the arrival of European settlers from the perspective of one clan of Kikuyu in Kenya. Brilliantly written, engaging, satisfying. The first 40% of the book details the pre-contact life of the Kikuyu in great detail. It takes them through triumphs and tragedies and shows you much of their physical, social, and spiritual life. You get to know them well as well-drawn, interesting, individual characters. This sets the stage for the arrival of the "red strangers," sunburnt whites, and their baffling new "magics," laws, food, society. I've spent time in east Africa: the book rings true. You become completely at home [well, maybe excepting the circumcision ceremonies ...] with the Kikuyu. You do get to feel [in a way] how strange and powerful the whites seemed. Great book.

In "Red Strangers," the reader is introduced to an African Kikuyu village. The people and their life are described in detail.In the early 20th century, Europeans started to settle in Kenya and the way of life that had served the Kikuyu for centuries was changed forever in a short time.In this book, everything is seen through the eyes of the Africans. It gives a different view of colonization.

Red Strangers offers an intriguing view of the colonization of East Africa. How puzzling it must have been to be "discovered" when your family has lived in the same place for generations! The unique and often humorous depiction of the white colonials is compelling. I found myself drawn into the voice and whether accurate or not, certainly offers a fresh and empathetic perspective. I read this book while on safari in Kenya and recommend it as a "must read" to any visitor to East Africa. Read it in conjunction with the classics - Out of Africa and the Flame Trees of Thika - the books fill in the blanks for one another.