Fragmented Lives

By J. Abala

In this semi-autobiographical novel, Imali tells an unforgettable story of Mary Upanga, a young Kenyan woman's journey to USA for her studies and her ensuing hardships. As a na ve Logooli girl, Mary is ill-prepared for life outside her rural setting of Kerongo. She must not only confront culture shock, but also racial discrimination, which shutter her sensibilities. That is not all. With her social security card stamped in bold letters: "BEARER NOT PERMITTED TO WORK," she struggles to find employment to support herself. Later, she is forced to take on odd jobs as threats of deportation and eviction from her flat become a looming reality. It does not take her long to realize that there is more to life in America than she imagined. She is not alone. A sea of other new African immigrants face similar fates. Tales of young men who perish, unable to cope with their new reality, threaten her quest and dreams for success. In this land of the free, Mary lives a fragmented life. Will she survive or succumb to the challenges of life as new African immigrant to American soil?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mwanaka Media and Publishing Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Aug 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781779272690

J. Abala

Imali J. Abala is a Kenyan woman writer and poet. Currently, she is a professor at Ohio Dominican University and Editor-in-Chief of Kenya Studies Review. Some of her published books include: The Dreamer, Haughty Boys of Ngoroke, Moody Mood and Red Round Ball, Drum Bits of Terror, A Fallen Citadel (a poetry collection), Jahenda, the Teenage Mother, The Disinherited and Move on, Trufosa. She served as an editor for In the Murk of Life, a poetry collection about contemporary Kenyan life.

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