The Mzungu Boy
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The Mzungu Boy
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The Mzungu Boy
Meja Mwangi's novel captures a child's-eye
view of village life in Kenya in the late 1950s
- a time of innocence, wild beauty, and the
growing violence that would change the
entire structure of colonial Africa.
"[The] Mzungu Boy, with its play of light
and dark, innocence and experience,
goodness and evil, is a superb
achievement on the part of its author,
Meja Mwangi." - Globe and Mail
"Mwangi's characterization is accurate
and insightful..." -   The Bulletin of
the Center for Children's Books
"...many readers will easily connect
with the friendship, the exhilarating
freedom of exploring nature, and the
boys' bewilderment at the adult
world." -   Booklist
The Mzungu Boy
groundwood books
2005
The Mzungu Boy by Meja Mwangi
Society of School Librarians
Honour Book
2006
For young Kariuki, life in a small village in central Kenya is
one great adventure. And when he meets Nigel life
becomes even more interesting. Nigel is from England and
he has come to visit his great grandfather, the fearsome
Bwana Ruin who owns the farm where all the villagers
work. The villagers call Nigel the mzungu boy, and they
view him with suspicion and fear.

Nevertheless, Kariuki becomes friends with Nigel and the
two spend happy days exploring the forest together.
Then one day the two boys decide to hunt down Old
Moses, the biggest, ugliest, oldest and meanest warthog
in the forest. The hunt takes them deeper into the jungle
than Kariuki has ever gone, and his beloved forest
becomes a frightening place, filled with dangerous
creatures, including the mau-mau, the mysterious men
who have guns and are plotting against Bwana Ruin and
the white soldiers. And when Nigel suddenly disappears,
Kariuki realizes that it is up to him to save his friend.