Place of Cool Waters

Thanks to Bon Esprit Books through Net Galley who allowed me to listen to the audio version of this book.

There are many wonderful elements to “Place of Cool Waters”. The book follows the early lives of two characters born in opposite parts of the world. Jude Wilson is black orphan who was adopted by a childless white couple in Washington State, US. Jude’s father is a boy scout leader who instilled his love of scouting and boy scout history into his son. Qadir Mohamed is the orphaned child of Somali immigrants living in Nairobi, Kenya. Qadir lives with his uncle’s family and they are Muslims in a majority Christian country. Both Jude and Qadir have to try and make their way in the world as minorities in a sometimes hostile show more majority culture.

The author, Ndirangu Githaiga, is a doctor from Kenya who has traveled around the world and now lives in the U.S. An interesting thing he does in the book is that when he is following Qadir, Githaiga will often write the dialogue in the local language (sometimes Somali, and sometimes Swahili I believe) and then he will provide an English translation. He is a relatively new author and this is his third book. The English dialogue in the book is a little wooden, but American English at least is not his first language. I wasn’t sure if all the elements in the book had a connection to, or developed the plot, but I might change my mind on a second reading.

Overall, this book is definitely worth reading for a look at life in Kenya and America. I want to read Githaiga’s other books now.

I listened to the audio version of this book. Lee Goettl did a good job reading the book, but I wish they had gotten a Kenyan-American or Somali-American to narrate it because of all the dialogue in African languages. show less

Place of Cool Waters is a novel about two young Black men, one living in the United States and the other in Kenya. Jude, who lives in the small town of Clarksville, Washington, was adopted by a white couple. Qadir, raised by his uncle and aunt following the deaths of his parents, lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jude has an unremarkable, happy childhood in Clarksville, despite it being a small "lily-white" town. An only child, his favorite activity is camping with his dad - hiking, fishing, and swimming in creeks. Jude feels particularly proud when he is able to use the tools learned in Boy Scouts to follow a subtle trail left by his father.
Qadir grows up in a small, two-bedroom apartment in Nairobia with his uncle, aunt, and two cousins. In show more his free time, Qadir helps his uncle at his kiosk where he sells essential household items in smaller quantities than those sold at the bigger grocery stores, and thus more affordable to many of the local people. Qadir attends college but does not have a very exciting job since there are not many positions for history majors.
Jude's father's dream of going to Kenya to visit the graves of Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, and Captain Tom Wilson, founding scoutmaster of the Nairobi, Kenya Boy Scout troop, send Jude there in his place. It is at this point in the book that the dual storylines merge.
Author Ndirangu Githaiga addresses the topics of family, hopes and dreams, as well as the harsher issues of racism and grief. His writing flows easily and reads quickly. His manner of infusing the reader with characters' personalities and towns' identities in an indirect way is masterful. His renderings of landscapes and even simple surroundings are beautiful.
I enjoyed the book although the ending seemed a bit predictable after the hints the author left and more cinematic than literary. I do plan to read Mr. Githaiga's other books, as I enjoyed his writing style.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bon Esprit Books for the ARC. show less