Review 'In this dazzling novel you will find the entirety of human experience - tearshed, bloodshed, lust, love - in staggering proportions' -- Taiye Selasi, author of Ghana Must Go'Visceral and moving... this is an unforgettable book, full of love and full of pain' --Binyavanga Wainaina, author of One Day I Will Write About This Place'Refreshing... As personal histories untangle, it is the Kenyan landscape itself that pushes forward - a sun-razed, bloodied and unknowable presence that at times seems to have spirited itself into Owuor's simultaneously earthy and other-worldly prose. Owuor is a welcome new voice' --Metro'Moving debut novel... It's a complex story full of rich characters and magical prose' --'Holiday Reads' in Cruise International'Refreshing... As personal histories untangle, it is the Kenyan landscape itself that pushes forward - a sun-razed, bloodied and unknowable presence that at times seems to have spirited itself into Owuor's simultaneously earthy and other-worldly prose. Owuor is a welcome new voice' --Metro'A richly evocative debut novel... Owuor's language is pungent, poetic, almost synaesthetic. The density of her language provides the novel's main delight. A subtle, sensitive portrait of Kenya' **** 'The power of Dust derives from its prose...Flashes of memory and the feelings of a moment give rise to recollections of other times and places. The portrait that this fragmented style builds of Kenya rings true in its contradictions, the quotidian mingling regularly with the dramatic: birds chirp while machine guns fire, warm winds blow while brothers are buried. Owuor's eye catches an abundance of rich detail and the suffering of the characters is leavened by the prose.' -- TLS --Daily Telegraph'Absorbing and executed to great effect... Dust is a fine, compassionate novel that relishes the complexity of human relations. It is written in a language that is often beautifully observant, and is alert in its insight and sympathy' --Guardian About the Author YVONNE ADHIAMBO OWUOR was born in Kenya. Winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, she has also received an Iowa Writer's Fellowship. Her work has appeared in McSweeney's and other publications, and she has been a TEDx Nairobi speaker and a Lannan Foundation resident. She lives in Brisbane, Australia.
B**M
Long and gloomy
This is a gloomy and lengthy novel with characters that aren't easy to like. Set in northern Kenya in the early 21st century and during the Mau Mau rebellion, it tells the story of a Kenyan family and a white couple. The link between them is gradually revealed over the course of the book. It's a story that would have worked better if I'd had more liking for the characters. As it was, I had to really force myself to keep reading through. It paints a bleak picture of Kenya, and shows how the post-electoral violence of 2007 had its roots in the country's troubled past. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable novel but might be worth reading if you have a particular interest in Kenyan history.
M**E
considering one review described it as the great Kenyan novel
I expected a lot of this book, considering one review described it as the great Kenyan novel. In parts this novel is wonderful, the author manages to hit in these place the balance between writing style, narrative and meaning. In other places, the story gets lost in the attempt to impress with language. Some characters have such successful characterizations that they are a joy to explore, others fell so short that I wonder why they were even in the book. Still, I am glad I read it, an attempt at greatness has achieved a thoroughly good book. Looking forward to more from the author.
D**E
An interesting book. A little incohesive and wordy.
An interesting book. A little incohesive and wordy.
B**S
Five Stars
beautiful and haunting book. very glad i found it.
J**D
Breathtaking
Breathtaking. Buy it. Read it. Immerse yourself in Kenya. Beautifully written.
J**N
Five Stars
Such a good and imaginative insight into pre and post Uhuru
I**U
Four Stars
liked it
A**R
Four Stars
a good read
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