Binyavanga Wainaina (1971–2019)

In a style of writing that I cannot but call absorbing, Wainaina talks about growing up in Kenya in the 70s and 80s, his addiction to fiction, about his booze- and cigarette-fueled attempts at studying in South Africa, about his early days as a writer, about his travels around the continent and the world. Over the course of his personal story, he adds in just enough politics and historical background to keep things firmly in memoir territory (as opposed to general history or international show more relations).

Some of the chapters were published as magazine articles before, and much of the book reads like that: a skilled writer using personal stories to talk about his world of intertribal distrust, colonial legacies, hesitant African democracies, Lagos cityscapes, Togo markets, and how to chart Kenya’s development through a succession of music styles. The best vignettes in the book, though, are the personal ones: this is where Wainaina’s less-is-more writing style does its most evocative work; his sparse sentences and carefully picked details are more artificial and less effective when it comes to more general topics.

That said, One day I will write about this place was an immersive read that I was eager to pick up and looking forward to read. I would very much like to read more by Wainaina. show less

Really wonderful, absorbing memoir about growing up in Kenya in the 70s and 80s, being part of the first generation to be born after independence from British rule. Wainaina's prose is the real joy here, riffing on language, meandering but never rambling, often suggestive rather than direct, and only rarely getting away from itself. (This seems to happen more at the beginning of the book than later on.) I did want this to cohere a little more—it's not quite a memoir proper, but more than a show more series of vignettes—but was impressed enough that I will look out for more of Wainaina's work in the future. show less

By recounting his childhood and his youth, Wainaina also shows a glimpse into Kenya's social and political structure as he comes more and more aware of them, especially the frightening rise of tribalism which culminated in violence and deaths. It is a very intimate and personal look into a young man's life: his early years in Kenya, coming of age in South Africa, struggles to find his path. I was definitely engrossed in the book although found that it started to drag on, as though the author show more wasn't quite sure how to finish his story. What is remarkable, however, is the writing: full of imagery, he has a way to even describe soundscapes that are quite unique. Just for that aspect I would recommend this book. show less

Binyavanga Wainaina tells the story of his middle-class Kenyan childhood, his failed attempt to study in South Africa as a computer programmer, a moving family reunion in Uganda, and his travels around Kenya. There is a lot of turmoil and trouble. He does a very good job of creating word pictures.