Nairobi Ndoto
-
- $4.99
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
Set in Nairobi, Kenya, Nairobi Ndoto follows three expatriate women whose ndoto—the Swahili word for dreams—become a nightmare when their world is thrown into turmoil by murder.
Tilly, Pauline, and Zara each dreamed of a life abroad in Kenya filled with adventure, opportunities, and new beginnings. Reality didn't match the dream. Tilly thought her move to Kenya would be temporary, but nearly ten years and three kids later, she no longer knows what home is. Dealing with an increasingly strained marriage and the unexpected downsides of life abroad, Pauline struggles to establish herself as more than a trailing spouse. Zara, tired of shuttling between Nairobi and Mogadishu and sleeping in borrowed shipping containers, longs for stability. When someone in their expat circle engages in illicit activity, the women become entangled in a murder. Lines are crossed and friendships tested as they sift through the shock and tragedy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cavanaugh explores the unrealized dreams and second chances of expats in Kenya in her promising if uneven debut. Tilly, 42, an American, hopes to leverage her blog's platform with a service to help other expats. Pauline, 37, a Canadian, is looking for a job, any job, to establish independence from her emotionally unavailable husband, Curt. Zara, 34, an American UNICEF worker who's been shuttling between Mogadishu and Nairobi, hopes to settle down finally with an NGO in town. The three women meet in Nairobi and become friends. Drama ensues as Zara has an affair with Curt, unaware that he's Pauline's husband. Not only did Curt neglect to say he's married but it turns out he's hiding much more, and the violent third act involves a murder and a drug trafficking scheme. Meanwhile, Tilly perseveres in her service venture. The violent denouement brings in the Kenyan police, whom Cavanaugh flatly portrays as misogynists and disdainful of expats. The plot takes a bit too long to get going, and there's not much buildup to the violence, but the yearnings of the three women feels palpable. The author shows promise. (Self-published)
