Novel set in Uguanda – Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Epic multigenerational read set in Uganda
A novel to savour and read slowly. This is history, a personal story, a fascinating insight into a misunderstood country and so much more.
“The image Miisi had constructed in Britain of the noble African rooted in his cultural values shunning westernization was a myth. What he returned to were people struggling to survive, who in the process had lost the ability to discern the vivid colours of right and wrong. Anything that gave them a chance to survive was moral.”
BookTrail Travel to the locations in Kintu
BookTrail Travel to the locations in Kintu
#Bookreview
This was an epic read. It’s the boxset of books. Separated into six sections, you might want to read this one section at a time. Stay with it though as it’s very rewarding.
It’s a multilayered family saga which looks at generations of one family and how a curse on that family will affect those to come. Kintu Kidda is the main character who we follow through the story.
There’s a lot to enjoy and take in. Life in Uganda, both in the past and present is examined. There are threads of magic, a curse, and supernatural goings on. Magical realism is the thread which holds it all together and twists and turns it to make something else entirely. There is a belief that certain magic, certain practices may rid the family of this curse. However, this is when the book gets into darker territory and looks at this ‘magic’ as it has an effect on those who use it.
I admit to knowing very little about the Ugandan belief system and the religious side of life there. It was an eye opener and a very fascinating look into both religion and African culture. So very unique to that part of the world, and I admire the author for writing about it in such a unique way.
There were of course more threads in the novel – poverty and the realities of it, the way Uganda is viewed in the West and outside of Africa, colonialism and all associated with it. I honestly don’ think I can fit everything into one review. Probably best not to anyway. This is a novel for discovery.(The details of the 18th-century royal Buganda court however were particularly interesting)
I read this ages ago and struggled to write a review. Now it’s been shortlisted for the Stanfords “Fiction with a sense of place’ prize, so I was asked to write one. I don’t even think I’ve done the book any kind of justice but it is a novel which will stay with me.
Uganda is not just about a story of colonialism, Idi Amin, history and the African continent. It’s a celebration of the culture, an insight into what makes it tick and is written by an author with authenticity in her pen.
This book has been hailed as the great Ugandan novel and is published in the UK by Oneworld Publications.
This is an epic novel and one to take time over. It’s complex yet flows well. I have no idea how the author managed to pull this off, but she does.
BookTrail Travel to the locations in Kintu
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BookTrail Boarding Pass: Kintu
