Monday, May 30, 2022

Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani

 
First Line from Introduction: Nairobi, shamba la mawe-- Nairobi, the stone garden-- is a pithy formulation intimating the city as a place of pleasures and perils.
 
I continue to enjoy Akashic's series of short story anthologies that are set in locations around the world. The fourteen stories in Nairobi Noir are an excellent collection that had me moving from neighborhood to neighborhood within that city. As I moved from place to place, I met Somali refugees and Kenya Cowboys; I confronted life, death, poverty, and love, side by side with people from all walks of life.
 
There's not a single bad story in the entire collection, but I have to admit that two made a profound impression on me. "She Dug Two Graves" by Winfred Kionga is centered on a proverb about revenge, and it's one that I shall never forget: "When seeking revenge, dig two graves-- one for yourself." The second story is Kinyanjui Kombaru's "Andaki." This incredibly powerful story tells readers just what mothers will do to save and to protect their sons who have been falsely accused of crimes. Wow. 
 
More than some of the other anthologies in this series, Nairobi Noir drew me into life in this city in Kenya-- an example of armchair travel at its very best. I look forward to my next trip with Akashic, and if you haven't tried any of the books in this series, I highly recommend that you do so.
 
Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani
eISBN: 9781617757754
Akashic Books © 2020
eBook, 224 pages
 
Short Story Anthology
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

13 comments:

  1. Oh, this is intriguing, Cathy! I love the setting for it, and it's good to hear the stories in the collection are consistently good. That doesn't always happen. I really like the idea of gathering collections like that that are from different parts of the world, and I wonder where he'll go next.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have aroused my curiosity about this book with your review. Short stories are not my favorite genre but I might just have to take a look at this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It gives such a good view of life in that city, Dorothy.

      Delete
  3. The chance to 'visit' such a foreign city, combined with the Akashic series' reputation for excellent writing may be enough to overcome my usual disinclination for short stories. I almost always like learning about places that I am not likely to visit in person.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used to be seriously disinclined toward reading short stories myself, but Akashic is one of the reasons why my opinion began to change. The only way I'm ever going to visit some of these places is by taking advantage of what Akashic offers.

      Delete
  4. I want to read the entire Akashic collection, but I've got ten library
    books and books on Overdrive hold. (sigh)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They will still be around when that pile shrinks.

      Delete
  5. Yes, but I just added more from the new releases list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But they'll still be around when you're ready for them.

      Delete
  6. Yes, but I just got hooked on a Prime video series, taking away from reading time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No matter how many buts you throw in, guess what? They'll still be there. No need for stress.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!