Forbidden Fruit

Impoverished laborer Ombima steals from his employer's garden in order to put food on his family's table. This action leads to his involvement in a forbidden affair, and a downward spiral into greed, jealousy, and backstabbing.

That synopsis notwithstanding, "Forbidden Fruit" is less a tightly plotted tale of lust and revenge, and more a brief documentary of life in a Kenyan village. We see Ombima, his family, and his friends struggle to make ends meet on their wages as tea pickers and casual laborers for the local rich man, and how they are immersed in their concerns about maintaining their houses and their gardens, saving up for a tin roof, maybe going to the local town and catching a show. Their lives are hard, especially by Western standards, and catastrophes like snakebite and illness are always lying in wait for them, but they also enjoy their lives and the beauty and abundance that surround them.

Like much of the African literature I've read, which to be honest isn't very much, the narrative structure of "Forbidden Fruit" differs from what a Western reader would expect. "Forbidden Fruit" is much more like a European/North American novel than some of the other works by African authors I've read, but it still has a slightly different sense of pacing, timing, and focus than what the Western reader might expect. The narrative is less structured, in a certain sense, with less foreshadowing and forward impetus. This is not a criticism of the novel, but rather a remark that its priorities are different--it is more interested in presenting the characters' inner experiences, and giving a "slice of life" impression than it is in driving the plot forward.

What this means is that the reader is allowed to ride along with the characters as they deal with their day-to-day troubles, which range from competition with a rival chorus group, to a gravely ill child and little access to modern medicine. These everyday concerns show these Kenyan villagers as living rich and complex inner lives, without being exoticized or fetishized as they might by a foreign author. We see the good and the bad of their lives--for example, the men largely love their wives, but also treat them as workers to whose labor they are entitled; violence against women is a constantly hovering threat; and Madam Tabitha, the wife of the tea plantation owner, is essentially an African Manic Pixie Dream Girl, upon whom the men in her life heap their desires and problems--and also how, with humans, the more things change, the more they stay the same. A readable and fascinating novel for those looking to add more African literature to their reading diet.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was an interesting novel. It delved into what initially appeared to be mundane rural life in Kenya, only to reveal surprises from these characters, as they navigated both highs and lows.

Never in my wildest dream would I ever think stealing food to put on the family table would lead to an affair, and one's world falling apart. But in this book, it does and will have you reading to find out what happens. Good character development is a major plus in this book. You get to read about the day to day life in an African village, meet characters that draw you into their lives. You learn about a different culture and how they deal with things. Very good read and I will look for other books from this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this one in particular caught my eye when I was browsing the available titles on Netgalley. After reading the book, however, I found that it wasn't representative of the story. Or perhaps I'm missing something. I'm so glad it piqued my interest, though!

The book description says that it is “more than a dramatic tale of rural life in western Kenya”. That's exactly right. It's a good story, with lovable and unlovable characters and it feels like a nice walk around Maragoli most of the time. In the middle of what seems like a tale of everyday life, you see raw human nature, tinted by the particularities of Kenyan culture, where you can recognise yourself in their virtues and defects, sort of like having a mirror put in front of your face. All the time feeling like you are standing right there, living it with the rest of them and found myself trying to get into their shoes.

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book -and well into the first quarter- but it wasn't what I got. It went in a completely different direction than the one I was expecting and I love it when an author does that successfully!

One of the things I liked about this book was that it taught me a lot about a culture completely different from mine. The descriptions sometimes made me feel like I was there, seeing, hearing, smelling and touching the things described. That's a very rare talent, and Stanley Gazemba definitely has it. It's an interesting story; and, if like me you are relatively ignorant of Kenyan culture, it's also a super interesting source of information.
I'd really recommend it and this won't be the last book by the author I’ll read. The man’s got talent!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I first read this book in March 2015 when it was published under the title "The Stone Hills of Maragoli" by KWANI. It was as refreshing as it was the first time I read it. However, this time, I found myself being more understanding of Angote as a character and his betrayal of his friend Ombima.

I've read most of the author's works and I am looking forward to more from Stanley because of how he delves into the characters inner thoughts and interpretation of what happens around them.

I picked this book from Netgalley, hoping to catch a glimpse of the life and culture of rural Africa and that is what I got.
Drama-wise or as the synopsis goes, I did not feel the plot was racy or overwhelming but I did find the narrative to be relatively appealing. A casual flow of words about the story of life in a Kenyan village made a good read. A fine peppering of local dialect ( Swahili I assume) in the narrative was a nice touch but a glossary of these words would have been helpful. Or maybe the glossary was missing from the copy I had downloaded from Netgalley.

I enjoyed this book, particularly the interesting lives of different people in rural Kenya. The setting is very strong and interesting but I think the main characters could have used a bit more work. I didn't quite get a detailed feel for them or their motivations. Still, a good read overall and I would not be surprised to see Mr. Gazemba's work receive more positive attention. Thanks to NetGalley, IBPA, and the author for giving me a chance to review this book.

Based In Kenya, Forbidden Fruit recounts the story of a poor family's downfall as a result of its patriarch succumbing to his mortal desires. Just like all causes have effects, all evil actions have consequences. The story introduces the main characters, Ombima and Angot'e by starting off as an average work day for them. One a family man, the other a bachelor; however it is the family man who starts the chain of events that'll lead them into ruin. Lust, greed, betrayal; these three things drive the entire novel in a dramatic climax. But will justice prevail or will the victims be punished along with the offenders?

This gem of a book tells a tale set in Kenya; complete with the richness of culture and plot twists.

Stanley Gazemba has a great talent to be able to write a story where things fall apart, but the book is not depressing or disheartening. In fact, the tone is light, and the mood felt similar to reading one of Alexander McCall Smith's No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, except set in Kenya. The main character, Ombima, is one who is flawed, but pleasant. Forbidden fruit from his employer's garden call to him because his family is hungry. Little does he know the designs that Madam Tabitha, mistress of the orchard, has for him, and what the consequences will be. This book thrives in its description of rural life more than in creating an intriguing plot.