Kanga in the Breeze: The True Story of an Unusual Sisterhood
'Kanga in the Breeze' is based on the true story of an unlikely sisterhood between a young expatriate mother seeking to immerse herself in the rich ethnic diversity of Kenya and a local Kikuyu mother who by chance becomes a childminder to the white family. As their lives become ever more entwined, there are unforeseen consequences to crossing the racial divide in post-colonial Africa. Building a holiday home on the tropical island of Lamu is a dream come true, but with the rise of Islamic militancy after the fall of the twin towers in America, local communities in East Africa become polarised along religious lines and nowhere is safe. Reminiscent of similar stories of the solidarity between women, such as 'The Secret Life of Bees' and 'The Help' both set in the American South, this is a heart-warming story from Africa of mutual support between two women whose friendship lasts a lifetime.
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Community Reviews
In Kangas in the Breeze, a young couple from South Africa manage to move to Kenya, passing as British citizens, at the service of an independent organization which digs wells and promotes health and sanitation education in rural villages. There, they have the support of influential people to visit and work along with rural farmers and villagers, as well as to get along with locals. That’s when an unlikely friendship between two women of rather different backgrounds and cultures is born and nurtured.
Written in four hands, this autobiographical novel takes the reader through a thrilling journey about East Africa, with all its wonders and hardships. The narrative flow is, at the same time, witty and humble, intense and soft, sensitive and realistic, easy to follow and thought provoking, which makes the reader feel like sticking to it until the end and sparks the desire of tripping across Kenya and East Africa.
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