Book Review: Nairobi Echoes #Writivism2016

This review contains a couple of spoilers 

This book is split up into 5 curious stories; at the start, I thought that these stories were interrelated but to my surprise, they were not. Actually, when I look at the book’s synopsis, there is nothing about the stories being connected… However, I digress!

It’s collection of stories about the lives of different characters living in the city of Nairobi. I have always thought of Nairobi to be the concrete jungle of East Africa. Busy people with busy lives, moving around in a busy nature, speaking in a busy manner.

In each of the stories, Gazemba goes into detail building up each of the characters, hooking us in through their back stories. Some of them, in particular, Tommy Hilfiger are quite relatable. I could totally see that going down in Kampala.

“I…I…I’ve never seen them, sir,” Jamin replied, his lips quivering and his head shaking vehemently. “Oh, so you mean a ghost came out of nowhere and disappeared with them…

Tehehe… Is it only Africa where such random statements are made?

Some of the stories have a slow build up (Chinese Cuisine, I am talking about you), but on the whole, Gazemba takes us on an interesting journey into the lives of Nairobi’s people. Each story has a different theme that it revolves around, from semi-thriller to love-wins-it-all, and a couple of stops in-between.

Thereafter he would remove his hacksaw and the rest would be easy – just like sawing through a dog’s carcass.

Whilst reading The Stronger Hand, I became slightly confused and opinionated because some part of the story happened in Uganda and in my head, it wasn’t adding up. I think Gazemba predicted this reaction because he pulled out an interesting twist as story unfolded.

The last confusing teeny-tiny thing that got to me, again this was whilst reading the stronger hand was geography. At one point, Gazemba starts the story in Arua, saying: I was smart enough to realize that our Apac home was getting crowded… Before we came to the south we had lived in Gulu in the north.

I could be wrong, but Arua isn’t to the south of Gulu or maybe he was not referring to Arua and Gulu at that point…

Overall, this book was an interesting journey…

I vote Mercedes, my favourite story out of the five. Yesss, I am trying to bias you into diving into it first.