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Of goats and poisoned oranges: More surprises than Thika road Paperback – December 13, 2013

by Ciku Kimeria (Author), Lucy Wangui Kimeria (Editor), Wakonyo Kimeria (Editor),

4.4 58 ratings

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It is generally accepted that there are only two possible outcomes to the flipping of a coin - heads or tails. In reality, there is also a small possibility of the coin landing on its edge. In this book we explore the tumultuous marriage of a middle aged Kenyan power couple as it is told by different parties in their life. On this riveting journey across the foothills of Mt. Kenya and the chaotic streets of Nairobi, the reader will learn that the truth is not a universal concept, but one that is dependent on the person telling the story.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ciku Kimeria lives and works in Kenya as a consultant focusing on international development issues. In her free time, she enjoys writing and traveling. She is particularly fascinated by the universality of human emotions and enjoys reading books about people whose culture she knows little about. She hopes to use her work to reach more people with stories about Kenyan people that they can relate to - even if they do not know much about Kenya. She holds a BSc in Management Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 13, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1494275856
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1494275853
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.35 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,551,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,032,809 in Literature & Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 58 ratings

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Owen Robinson

“Orange” you going to read this? You should. #badwordplay

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2014

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The plot of “Of Goats and Poisoned Oranges” should be obvious by the title, but allow me to fill you in, regardless.

The focal point of the story is a wealthy Kenyan couple living in Nairobi. They have ups and downs, depending on how you look at it. And what a coincidence, because the main framework of this book is telling this couples story THROUGH other people, and their unique perspective on the situation. Both the man and woman, his mistress, their children, and other family members each narrate chapters in this book, and gives us their personal take on everything.

Okay, maybe this is a weird example, but have you seen the newest season of Arrested Development? Where each episode centers around a certain character, and things are going on around them, and in the background, that come into play later? This book reminds me of that format. Something can happen from one point of view that looks horrible from the small chunk that you are shown at first, but then when you come back around to it later, and you have more context, things become much clearer. Not that anything is “explained” or “fixed” by the other points of view, but it certainly broadens your perspective.

I thought this book was very fascinating, if only from a writing standpoint. I was blown away by the writer’s ability to weave a story like this, much in the same way that I felt about Cloud Atlas, although that was segmented very differently than this.

You could do FAR worse than this book. For example, you could buy poisoned oranges. Or a goat. Or an orange poison goat! I was wrong, an orange poison goat would be better…. Sorry….

If you are looking for something new, and unique, I highly recommend this book.

3 people found this helpful

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Stephen Matlock

Wicked, funny, poignant, wacky, human--a big ball of fun and danger

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2014

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This was a fun read, and I enjoyed the entire book--not just the story, which is fascinating and all-too-human, but the method the author used to reveal the plot. A shifting series of vignettes, newspaper clippings, internal dialogs, court and police transcripts, and phone calls slowly shows the encircling despair of Wambui, Njogu, and Nyambura, caught in the web of present-day and not-too-distant-past Kenya.

It's the old, old story of love and life and the girdle of circumstances that arise as people grow and change. Wambui is the daughter of a rich family, Njogu is the son of a poor one, and when they meet they fall in love and marry. Njogu becomes wealthy in his own right, but as King David in the Bible had a wandering eye when he should have been tending to his business, Njogu meets Nyambura, a poor woman working to support herself in the big city of Nairobi. There are multiple intersections between the three, and catastrophes, and as in real life, dreams are shattered by diamonds scraping against the glass.

There are some great, witty lines and observations: "Books had been cooked, and a manhunt was underway for the chef" is one of my favorites, but there are others such as "English had failed [my mother] by not having a stronger word to describe her."

Now, I must say that I had to re-read several passages in order to understand some of the details and background, but I chalk that up to my lack of familiarity with some of the social aspects of Kenya. Ms. Kimeria provides helpful footnotes throughout the book, and everything is eventually explained, but the text requires some careful attention in order to follow along at times.

One person found this helpful

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lroger

Definitely worth taking a chance on this book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014

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Perspective-- that is what this book focuses on. How the same story can be told multiple times from different angles. I wanted the full story, and the only way to get it was by reading the narrative from different characters, which is a very clever writing tactic.

Nor that reading it is a chore--quite the opposite. Each character stands on his/her own within the chapters, and the reader gets more and more information with each new perspective. It was an interesting way to allow the reader to see an almost-complete view Kenyan lifestyle, as each character had different ideals and priorities to highlight one small segment of an over-arching topic. Themes of family, traditions, cultural roots, and loyalty cover this novel and add intrigue. I felt that I learned so much about Kenyan culture , but without it seeming educational or “textbook”.

This style also means that even classic antagonists--like cheating husbands--get a chance to explain themselves and their thought-processes. Very few books allow you to realistically see into the minds of multiple characters, and this book does this without letting the plot fall to pieces. Conversely, main characters I once sympathized with now had flaws that made me question why I liked them in the first place. It was a captivating approach, and one that rewards any reader that picks up this book.

Maybe it is my love of short stories that drew me to this book: each new section almost tells its own story but overlaps it with the others with a grander conflict that sews them all together. It is as if each chapter is its own vignette, but they tie into each other seamlessly. Books that stray from convention are usually the most memorable, and this one is definitely memorable.

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Top reviews from other countries

Chris

Well written book. Being a Kenyan, I can ...

Reviewed in Canada on July 16, 2014

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Well written book. Being a Kenyan, I can relate to the stories 100%. A job well done Ciku. when can I expect the next exiting novel from you? Auntie Xtine