A Grain of Wheat

By: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Set in the wake of the Mau Mau rebellion and on the cusp of Kenya's independence from Britain, A Grain of Wheat follows a group of villagers whose lives have been transformed by the 1952-1960 Emergency. At the center of it all is the reticent Mugo, the village's chosen hero and a man haunted by a terrible secret. As we learn of the villagers' tangled histories in a narrative interwoven with myth and peppered with allusions to real-life leaders, including Jomo Kenyatta, a masterly story unfolds in which compromises are forced, friendships are betrayed, and loves are tested.

©1967, 1986 Ngugi wa Thiong’o (P)2019 Tantor

great book, wrong narrator

The narrator did not even bother to pronounce the author's name correctly. Otherwise, amazing book.

Intriguing story

An interesting look at a tumultuous period in kenyan history, read in a clear compelling voice.

A stirring story

I enjoyed this book the first time I read it years ago, and I found it just as riveting years later. A powerful story of Kenyan independence and the anti-colonial struggle, but also how devastating colonialism was to the African people. Ngugi should've already won the Nobel Prize for the bodybof his work. Maybe one day.

One of Kenya's Great

I am glad I reread this book. Having read it as a student over 25 years ago I didn't appreciate the nuances of the stories Prof Ngugi wove. My one feedback for the Audible edition is for a better pronounciation of the book's characters and places...since they often repeat them....it can get irritating a bit how off the names were read out.

A piece of Art

Ron Butler, narrated this to perfection.
The beautiful memories this book brings can’t be matched.
A great piece for sure. Thiongo never disappoints