Fiction. Mussavir, a young Asian doctor in Kenya, has joined a volunteer medical corps to serve in Ethiopia, defending itself from Mussolini's Italian army. But before he leaves, his family, the Bashirs, desire to get him engaged to Shaira, a thirteen-year-old cousin. Mussavir does not have much choice, but when the families meet, he falls in love with the intelligent and ambitious girl. The engagement takes place, Mussavir sets off for the Ethiopian front, and an unexpected fate unfolds for the young couple. This beautiful novel reveals a rare insight into life in early colonial Kenya, from the perspective of an Asian Muslim family. The poignant story of Mussavir and Shaira, their innocence caught in the web of larger events, is sure to capture the heart.

Author City: TORONTO, ON CAN

Sophia Mustafa (1922-2005) was a writer and political activist of high acclaim. She was one of Tanzania's first women members of parliament. Of Kashmiri Indian origin, she grew up and lived in East Africa, where she was active in developing literacy, libraries, and newspapers in rural areas. She later moved to Canada, where she took on the career of a novelist, publishing IN THE SHADOW OF KIRINYAGA. Her body of published work includes four books of poetry, three collections of short stories and several award-winning nonfiction works on Caribbean culture.