Petals of Blood

There has been a murder in the Kenyan village of Ilmorog. Four suspects are placed in detention- headmaster Munira, teacher and political activist Karega, spirited barmaid Wanja and storekeeper Abdulla. But there are no easy solutions to the crime in a place already filled with fear and intimidation. As the murder is investigated, it becomes clear how the lives of suspects and victims are inextricably linked to the fortunes of their village, and to the crisis of modern Kenya itself. Petals of Blood was published in 1977 to huge controversy, leading to Ngugi's imprisonment for his portrayal of a post-independence Kenya ruled by greed, corruption and brutality. Yet his blistering criticism of the legacy of colonialism still burns with hope for the future.