🇺🇬 Book~Review 🇺🇬
Kintu (historical fiction) is a multigenerational saga story of the Baganda history that tells the story of Kintu Kidda the Ppookino of Buddu Province, while in leadership took an action that unleashed a curse upon him and his clan for generations.
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The story divided in six parts, takes us on a history between the 18th century, the beginning of the curse in the kingdom of Buganda and 21st century, the persistence of the curse upon Kintu's descendants.
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Kintu is an epic read that cuts across themes/history from African tradition, to myth & folktale, societal pressure, colonialization, birth of education, sexism, mental health, sexuality, Abrahamic religions and atheism, modernism, the Uganda–Tanzania War of 1978–79 which lead to the overthrow of Idi Amin and outbreak of the Ugandan Bush War 1980–86.
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This book is an insanely heavy masterpiece. The complexity, worth it and the storytelling was beautiful and fascinating that I can't stop giving appreciation to Makumbi for this.
I'm not a huge fan of history but, there's how when it's been told, leaves me in awe and gasping for more. Makumbi was able to delivery that.
The family tree and sorting of characters were really helpful, that's what I expect in a read that is multiple generational. Reminds me this was something that the novel And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini lacked and it made it not a really good read for me.
The characters were complex, most were dynamic and when I thought I disliked a character, I tend to find another that replaces the former one.
Kanani Kintu and his wife 🤦, I felt like serving them a hot cup of tea from my mind (e no get were e pain them- in pidgin language).
I'm really glad that Makumbi refused in changing the manuscript which an editor wanted because it was saturated with Ugandan, really African.
She showed us that the Uganda history started long time ago and she is here to tell that story, not letting them die silently. Giving us stories that before colonialism, incidents and events has took place long ago.
To me, she said unto them, darling you see this tea I'm about serving, you just have to take it the way I want it to taste.
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In Jennifer Makumbi's words she said Kintu is a “masculinist” novel, and it is focusing on the fragile edifice of paternity, she emphasizes the toll that patriarchy takes on the people who happen to be men.
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The last part of this book (ending) was a craft to behold. The way the writer was able to interconnect the characters together, giving an ending that was settling to me, and also was able to smash the patriarchy with the creation of a new history 👑.
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Kintu is a read I recommend to everyone, though it involves your undivided attention.
Rating: 5/5🌠