DANCE OF THE JAKARANDA

The story of the building of a railroad across Kenya will remind many listeners of Joseph Conrad's iconic novel HEART OF DARKNESS. Peter Kimani personalizes this historical moment in Kenyan history through the fictional lives of three men, a railway, and the end of British colonialism. Narrator John Sibi-Okumu tells the story in somber, sonorous tones reminiscent of radio theater. His style is evocative of the historical period and creates an authentic listening experience, particularly in his portrayal of Reverend Turnball. Indians, Kenyans, and Englishmen come together and fall apart in the struggle to establish a nation. At the same time, a mixed-race illegitimate child searches for a home during a tumultuous social time. M.R. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2017]