A good insight into Kenyan family values and hierarchy

• Book: The People of Ostrich Mountain
• Location: Kenya
• Author: Ndirangu Githaiga

Review Author: RosieA

The People of Ostrich Mountain is a family saga and piece of cultural fiction. Set in Kenya, the story begins in the 1950s and introduces us to Wambũi. As a teenager she leaves her village to attend a prestigious boarding school where she meets Eileen Atwood, a teacher who would become her friend and mentor.

Although Wambũi is a gifted mathematician, she trains to be a teacher of maths so that she can stay close to her family and help them out financially. After her marriage she helps run a successful hardware store.

In part two of the book, we meet Wambũi’s grown-up son Ray and read of his struggles to become a medical student and later his successes in America. We also return to Eileen’s tale, who after forty years living in Kenya was forced to leave her job and return to England.

I enjoyed reading this and learning about Kenya and its history, particularly for those who lived and worked outside of the main cities. Some of my favourite parts were reading about Wambũi’s family hierarchy and their respect of family values. I also liked the story behind the book title which I won’t give away here.

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