The Present Moment (Women Writing Africa)

This contemporary African classic tells the story of seven unforgettable Kenyan women as it traces more than sixty years of turbulent national history. Like their country, this group of old women is divided by ethnicity, language, class, and religion. But around the charcoal fire at the Refuge, the old-age home they share in Nairobi, they uncover the hidden personal histories that connect them as women: stories of their struggles for self-determination; of conflict, violence, and loss, but also of survival. Each woman has found her way to the Refuge because of a devastating life experience—the loss of family and security to revolution, emigration, or poverty. But as they reflect upon their tragedies, they also become aware of the community they have formed—a community of collective history, strength, humor, and affection. And they learn that they are more connected than they know, as the murder of a student in the neighborhood reveals how their lives have intersected across generations, how securely the past is tied to the present—and to the future—of their young nation.

Literature & Fiction

Oludhe Macgoye, Marjorie

United States

The Feminist Press at CUNY

Coming to Birth (Women Writing Africa)

In this quietly powerful and eminently readable novel, winner of the prestigious Sinclair Prize, Kenyan writer Marjorie Macgoye deftly interweaves the story of one young woman’s tumultuous coming of age with the history of a nation emerging from colonialism. At the age of sixteen, Paulina leaves her small village in western Kenya to join her new husband, Martin, in the bustling city of Nairobi. It is 1956, and Kenya is in the final days of the "Emergency," as the British seek to suppress violent anti-colonial revolts. But Paulina knows little about, about city life, or about marriage, and Martin’s clumsy attempts to control her soon lead to a relationship filled with silences, misunderstandings, and unfulfilled expectations. Soon Paulina’s inability to bear a child effectively banishes her from the confines of traditional women’s roles. As her country at last moves toward independence, Paulina manages to achieve a kind of independence as well: She accepts a job that will require her to live separately from her husband, and she has an affair that leads to the birth of her first child. But Paulina’s hard-won contentment will be shattered when Kenya’s turbulent history intrudes into her private life, bringing with it tragedyand a new test of her quiet courage and determination. Paulina’s patient struggles for survival and identity are revealed through Marjorie Macgoye’s keen and sensitive visiona vision which extends to embrace the whole of a nation and a people likewise struggling to find their way. As the Weekly Standard of Kenya notes, "Coming to Birth is a radical novel in firmly asserting our common humanity."

Marjorie Macgoye is among Africa's most distinguished novelists, highly praised by critics and often regarded as the "mother of Kenyan literature." In this quietly powerful and eminently readable novel, Macgoye deftly interweaves the story of one young woman's tumultuous coming of age with the history of a nation emerging from colonialism. At the age of sexism, Paulina leaves her small, traditional Luo village in western Kenya to join her new husband, Martin Were, in the bustling, multitribal city of Nairobi. It is 1956, and Kenya is in the final days of the Emergency as the British seek to supress violent anti-colonial revolts. Paulina knows little about politics and even less about city life. On her second day in Nairobi, she is naive enough to think she can easily find her way home across the vast city, as she always could in her village. Her traumatic journey, which in fact takes two days and two nights, earns her a beating from Martin. Marriage, too, is new to Paulina, and while she is anxious to learn the ways of a proper wife, Martin's clumsy attempt to control her soon lead to a relationship filled with silences, misunderstandings, and unfulfilled expectations. "Being married was, it seems, a whole history of getting used to things," Paulina thinks. Soon Paulina's inability to bear a child effectively banishes her from the confines of a traditional women's life. As her country at last moves toward independence, Paulina manages to achieve a kind of independence as well. She accepts a job teaching women at a community center, which will require her to live separately from her husband, and she has an affair that leads to the birth of her first child. But Paulina's hard-won contentment shatters when Kenya's turbulent history intrudes once again into her private life, bringing with it tragedy-and a new test of her quiet courage and determination. Courage and determination infuse every aspect of Paulina's struggle for survival and identity, as revealed through Marjorie Macgoye's keen and humane vision. Taking in real events and historical figures as well as the inner journeu of one remarkable woman, this vision extends to embrace the whole of a nation and a people likewise struggling to find their way.

Genre Fiction

This contemporary African classic tells the story of seven unforgettable Kenyan women as it traces more than sixty years of turbulent national history. Like their country, this group of old women is divided by ethnicity, language, class, and religion. But around the charcoal fire at the Refuge, the old-age home they share in Nairobi, they uncover the hidden personal histories that connect them as women: stories of their struggles for self-determination; of conflict, violence, and loss, but also of survival.Each woman has found her way to the Refuge because of a devastating life experience—the loss of family and security to revolution, emigration, or poverty. But as they reflect upon their tragedies, they also become aware of the community they have formed—a community of collective history, strength, humor, and affection. And they learn that they are more connected than they know, as the murder of a student in the neighborhood reveals how their lives have intersected across generations, how securely the past is tied to the present—and to the future—of their young nation.

One of Kenya's most notable woman novelists, the author here tells a story for young children. A group of neighbourhood children catch a thief and a smuggler, help a street child to return to school, and are on the verge of trouble as they trail a mystery man. The man one day demands to know why they are following him. They are the Black Hand Gang, having fun and adventure.

The Black Hand Gang (Junior Readers)

Children's Books

Macgoye, Marjorie Oludhe

Action & Adventure

East African Educ. Publ.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Oludhe Macgoye, Marjorie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Oludhe Macgoye, Marjorie

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Oludhe Macgoye, Marjorie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Present Moment (Women Writing Africa)

Coming to Birth (Women Writing Africa)

Coming to Birth (Women Writing Africa)

The Present Moment (Women Writing Africa)

The Black Hand Gang (Junior Readers)