The Mzungu Boy

The Mzungu Boy is a novel by Meja Mwangi. It is set in Kenya during the 1950s; during that time, Kenya was under British rule. The British colony is facing a Kenyan uprising known as the Mau Mau Rebellion. The majority of the fertile farmland is under British control, and the best the Kenyans can hope for is to work the land as tenant farmers, giving the majority of their yield to the British. While the Kenyans work the land, they live under oppressive conditions and under constant threat of violence. The Mau Mau rebellion seeks to rid the land of the British colonizers and give the country back to Kenyans.[1]

Synopsis

The narrator and main character is Kariuki, a young Kenyan boy living under the oppressive rule of a British plantation owner named Bwama Ruin. While near a watering hole, Kariuki meets Bwama's nephew Nigel, who is fishing. Nigel is a white boy from Britain staying in Kenya for the summer. He is one year younger than Kariuki and is unaware of the systematic oppression of the Kenyan people. Kariuki and Nigel quickly become friends. Nigel quickly gains the title of “The Mzungu Boy”, meaning "white boy", by the older boys of the village. Nigel immediately falls in love with hunting on the prairies of Africa. He especially enjoys hunting Old Moses, which according to Kariuki is the oldest, toughest warthog in the world. Kariuki's older brother Hari is part of the Mau Mau rebellion. During one of Nigel's and Kariuki's hunting expeditions, they get separated. Bwama Ruin calls in the British army to search for Nigel. When Kariuki goes to search for Nigel, he finds him captured by the Mau Mau. Kariuki frees Nigel but while they try to escape, they both get captured by the Mau Mau. Although the Mau Mau want to kill them both, Kariuki's brother Hari frees them. Nigel and Kariuki run back to the town while the Mau Mau attempt to flee from the British soldiers by hiding in the mountains. When the boys get back to the plantation, they go to Bwama Ruin's estate to find that British soldiers have found and killed Hari as he tried to flee with the Mau Mau rebels. Kariuki runs out of the town overcome with emotion; the book ends with Nigel, "The Mzungo Boy", finding and comforting Kariuki.

Character list
  • Bwama Ruin: British landowner in Kenya. Sternly controls his land under threat of violence and death.
  • Masmab Ruin: Wife of Bwama Ruin, claims the only reason that Bwama Ruin married her was because she was wealthy.
  • Nigel: “The Mzungu Boy.” Young British boy, nephew of Bwama Ruin. A year younger than the narrator and in Kenya only for the summer. Unaware of the systematic oppression of the Kenyan people. Becomes good friends with Kariuki
  • Kariuki: The narrator and main character of the story. Young boy who is full of adventure, however is constantly oppressed by family, school, and owners of the land he lives on. His only real friend is the “Mzungu Boy” Nigel.
  • Father: Father of Kariuki. Bwamba Ruin's personal chef. Extremely stern, rules house under threat of violence. Although he is rough, he does care about Kariuki and his family.
  • Mother: Mother of Kariuki. Stern motherly figure, runs the house and keeps Kariuki busy with chores and tasks.
  • Hari: Kariuki's older brother. Rough, stern, and violent towards Kariuki. Member of the Mau Mau rebellion against Bwama Ruin and the colonization of Kenya.
  • Grandmaster: Dean of the boarding school Kariuki attends. Very stern and unflinching in his punishments.
  • Father Mario: Italian Catholic man who owns and operates the church. Kariuki describes him as the most fearsome man after Bwana Ruin.

Reception

CM Magazine reviewed the book, rating it four out of four stars.[2] The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books also wrote a review.[3]

Awards and recognition

The Mzungu Boy received the 2006 American Library Association Notable Children's Books Award for Older Readers[4] and the 2006 Children's Africana Book Award - Best Book for Older Readers,[5] and also made it into the Society of School Librarians Honour Book in 2006.[6] In 1990, Little White Man (which was eventually republished as The Mzungu Boy) won the prestigious Deutsche Jungendliteraturpreis.

References
  1. Mwangi, Meja (2014-06-22). The Mzungu Boy. HM Books. ISBN 9780982012673.
  2. Walker, Lori (September 30, 2005). "CM Magazine: The Mzungu Boy". CM Magazine. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  3. Coats, Karen (2005-11-15). "The Mzungu Boy (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 59 (2): 110. doi:10.1353/bcc.2005.0135. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 143511143.
  4. "ALA | 2006 Notable Books Announced". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
  5. "Africana Awards – Past Winners, Older Readers". Africa Access. 2014-02-16. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
  6. DD. "MEJA MWANGI - THE MZUNGU BOY". www.mejamwangi.com. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
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