Unto You

I owe it to my 'two' loyal readers for taking leave of absence from writing here. But, now that the New Year is beckoning, I should say, thanks for being my loyal readers for the entire time that I've been writing.

But, first things first, enjoy the New Year more responsibly. See you in the New Year more energised, re-invigorated and re-invented.

Son of Woman

When did you last read a popular urban thriller that kept you edged on your seat for hours on end? If you haven’t done so in months, then you better grasp Son of Woman (1971) by Charles Mangua, a prolific Kenyan writer.

The book is written on a lighter note, exploring the delicacies of crime, urban indigence, and the often deep but rarely fully unexplored subject of prostitution. Part fiction, part biography, Mangua vividly captures the travails of Dodge Kiunyu, born of a whoring mother in the slums of Eastleigh in Nairobi. His life is a living hell, his miseries compounded by his mother’s death, when Dodge is only 11 years old. What is more striking is the mere fact that Dodge doesn’t hide the fact that he is a bastard, born of a prostitute. He is so bitter about this fate and can only but accept life as it is. 

He is taken in by Miriam, his mother’s colleague in the oldest profession. Miriam also has an 11 year old daughter, who despises Dodge with a passion. But for Dodge’s ‘never say die’ attitude, he would have preferred to loiter on the streets rather than stay in a house he is openly unwelcome.

Although, he later goes to a mission school, from whence proceeding to the university, he spends much of his time in jail for an assortment of crimes. What seems pretty annoying is the inability to control his anger and his penchant for picking fights, even with law enforcers. He doesn’t hide the fact that he hates the police with a passion, blaming them for all his suffering.

In this award winning book, Mangua describes each detail, almost with a flaw, despite repetitive clauses that may once in a while appear boring. He openly vents his bitterness on his unfortunate being as a Son of Woman. The emotions, humour, sadness and anger will flow with you and through you right from the onset, from the first person perspective that the book takes. At various levels, the book contains some derogatory wordings, which is only but a societal reflection that will leave a shrilling and thrilling effect on the reader in equal measure.

Single and Searching? How to Find and Marry Mr. Right by Christopher Hart

Many books have been written about relationships, but few tell you how to do it right, or how to spot the Mr. or Mrs. Right and walk them down the aisle. 

Single and Searching? How to Find and Marry Mr. Right is particularly written with that lady, tired of the dating game, and intending to get married in mind. It delves into the dating world with a sharp razor of truths and myths. The book simply busts the myth that finding the right person to date and later marry is a matter of luck. It is an effort much like finding a job, looking for the right property or plot to buy, or even indentifying the right investment opportunity.

Dr. Chris Hart has immense experience as a psychologist, relationship expert, TV personality and popular columnist writing on relationships in one of Africa’s leading newspapers, the respected Sunday Nation newspaper, published in Kenya. In Single and Searching, he offers invaluable tips, both on how, and where to find that date you have often wanted to meet, and how to avoid possible dates from hell. In short, and in clear and direct language, he highlights the dos and don’ts of the dating world to the time he proposes.

A lady in her late twenties or thirties who would really like to settle down in marriage will find the nine chapters of the book quite invaluable in her quest for finding a date who would later propose to her. Dr Hart writes that the contemporary dating setting has undergone a seismic shift, from a time when women simply sat back and waited for the right man to come calling, to a time when women have increasingly become more financially and economically independent and have more control on when to get married, and possibly to whom. Whereas, many of them put more emphasis on their education or careers, and can get away with having many short term dating stints as they wish, there comes a time when they want a man to be around them all the time.

Now, they go out hunting, but of course, Chris Hart will tell you the right places to find the date you want. He will also tell you about different chemistries that might likely make you last longer together. For instance, he says you might feel totally compatible to your date, but in case the chemistry doesn’t work right after your first kiss, the probability that you will be together for long is low. Even such thing as smell is very important. If you don’t like their smell, you better make up your mind first on your next move.

He also busts the myth that opposites attract. He emphasises the fact the more you feel alike to your date, the more you are likely to be with each other for long. Also, but not least, he indicates that it is of the essence to find a partner with whom you are relatively compatible in looks.

All in all, he says, “a different set of skills is needed when you are dating as a successful woman in your late twenties or early thirties, compared to when you were just starting out”. And, the myth that there are no good men out there is a lie.  There are loads of them.

Single and Searching is frank, straight forward and doesn’t mice words. All in all, readers should find the book incredibly interesting and eye opening.

Joshua Masinde