"This funny, perceptive and ambitious work of historical fiction by a Kenyan poet and novelist explores his country's colonial past and its legacy." -- The New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice

Set in the shadow of Kenya's independence from Great Britain, Dance of the Jakaranda reimagines the special circumstances that brought black, brown and white men together to lay the railroad that heralded the birth of the nation.

The novel traces the lives and loves of three men -- preacher Richard Turnbull, the colonial administrator Ian McDonald, and Indian technician Babu Salim -- whose lives intersect when they are implicated in the controversial birth of a child. Years later, when Babu's grandson Rajan -- who ekes out a living by singing Babu's epic tales of the railway's construction -- accidentally kisses a mysterious stranger in a dark nightclub, the encounter provides the spark to illuminate the three men's shared, murky past.

With its riveting multiracial, multicultural cast and diverse literary allusions, Dance of the Jakaranda could well be a story of globalization. Yet the novel is firmly anchored in the African oral storytelling tradition, its language a dreamy, exalted, and earthy mix that creates new thresholds of identity, providing a fresh metaphor for race in contemporary Africa.

"Destined to become one of the greats... This is not hyperbole: it's a masterpiece." -- The Gazette

"A fascinating part of Kenya's history, real and imagined, is revealed and reclaimed by one of its own." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Kimani's novel has an impressive breadth and scope." -- Los Angeles Review of Books

"Highlighted by its exquisite voice, Kimani's novel is a standout debut." -- Publishers Weekly

"Lyrical and powerful." -- Kirkus Reviews

• We started tracking this book on February 8, 2017.
• This book was $15.15 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 128 times in the past 2,830 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 2 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on August 15, 2021.
• This book has been $1.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $15.15 last reached on February 8, 2017.
• This book has been $15.15 one time since we started tracking it.

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 353 Pages
• File Size: 3,355 KB