June 1, 2016
When Leena Kohli returns home to Kenya after three years in London, she's forced to reckon with the personal and national trauma that forced her abroad.Verjee's second novel (In Between Dreams, 2014) explores the nuanced, layered intricacies of racial politics in east Africa beyond black and white, focusing on the tensions between Africans and Indians living in post-British imperialism Kenya. While many Indians have left Kenya in the midst of political upheaval--"most of his friends have taken their families abroad to avoid the possible messy outcome of a rigged election"--Leena's father, Raj, has decided his family will remain in Kenya and work for the greater good. Raj has groomed Leena's brother, Jai, to follow in the footsteps of his particular brand of idealistic activism, but life in Kenya is too much for Leena. Less than 24 hours after her return, she's assaulted by vandals, and her pleas for help are ignored by the corrupt police until Jai bribes them. Throughout all this, the mystery of the traumatic event that propelled Leena's absence from Kenya drives the narrative. With her father and brother focused on politics and her entire family ignoring the depth of her pain, Leena finds refuge in a rekindled relationship with a childhood friend. Intertwined with Leena's narrative is the story of jaded policeman Jeffery Omondi's Orwellian descent into corruption, until the two storylines eventually come to a climactic head. While at times excessively coy in revealing information, the novel is rich in profound observations of character, psychology, and human nature. Moving seamlessly between present, past, and further past, Verjee creates stories within stories, rounding out her characters by presenting each as the fully-realized hero of his or her own story. A unique, powerful voice in African literature.
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Starred review from September 1, 2016
Verjee, who debuted with In Between Dreams, winner of the Peters Fraser & Dunlop/City University Prize for Fiction, follows up with an epic story of politics, love, and how self-examination can heal wounds cutting deeply in a flailing contemporary community. When Leena returns after three years to Nairobi, Kenya, where she grew up in a conservative middle-class family of East Asian descent, she encounters corruption and violence that inspires real fear--especially as her brother, Jai, is heavily involved in antigovernment rallies. Leena also reconnects with her first love, Michael, the black son of a family maid, and they launch a secret romance. Woven into their story is that of corrupt cop Jeffrey, whose actions have overwhelming consequences for those around him. Whether primary or secondary, Verjee's characters are captivating; their personalities come through amid amazing descriptions of a system that profoundly and catastrophically affects both nation and family. VERDICT Recalling Chris Abani's Graceland, this book will appeal to lovers of contemporary world fiction looking for a read rich that's both character- and issue-driven.--Ashanti White, Fayetteville, NC
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Starred review from August 1, 2016
Verjee's follow-up to her debut, In Between Dreams (2014), revolves around a group of interconnected characters in Kenya from the end of the twentieth century through the beginning of the twenty-first. Leena Kohli and her older brother, Jai, have grown up in Kenya, their wealth and foreignness separating them from their African neighbors. Jai's father encourages him to befriend the family's housekeeper's son, Michael, and the two boys become close. At first, Leena is jealous of their friendship, but when Michael goes out of his way to help her, the two form their own bond, only to be torn apart when Leena's mother catches them in a tender moment and demands that Michael's mother be let go. As the three grow up, Jai and Michael become embroiled in a movement that opposes the Kenyan government, while Leena seeks solace at school abroad after a brutal attack. Verjee limns the experiences of Michael, Jai, and Leena along with a host of other characters, including a corrupt policeman, a grieving widow, and a cunning revolutionary, to paint a vibrant picture of a country in turmoil. An unforgettable and ultimately hopeful tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)