The River Between

Set in the beautiful but conflicted Gikuyu ridges of Kenya, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's powerful novel tells the tragic story of a community torn apart by the advent of colonialism and Christianity. The Honia River symbolically divides the villages of Kameno and Makuyu, separating those who fiercely cling to tradition from those who embrace the new faith. Caught between these two worlds is Waiyaki, a young man destined to be a unifying prophet, whose love for a Christian's daughter threatens to seal his fate and the lasting division of his people. This is a timeless, moving exploration of cultural identity, faith, and the price of progress.