The Firemakers Of Azali
Atieno Onyango reminisces on one of her favorite Kenyan reads – Firemakers of Azali by Karungari Mutu.
Until The Firemakers of Azali,I don’t think there existed a Kenyan-flavoured, science fiction-influenced answer to the Hardy Boys.
Four children, David and his siblings Mwana, Lulu and Keziah find themselves unlikely heroes in a new world where they are the only humans – and by extension I mean firemakers. They discover powers they didn’t know they had which they must embrace in order to save themselves and get back home. The characters are beautifully crafted, the plot brisk and fresh. The author’s knowledge of animal and bird species makes the descriptions of Azali rich. This is a delightful read regardless of one’s age.
I loved the references to African hero stories in the book. The protagonist, David is about to play the hero (similar to Lwanda Magere in a school play) when he and his siblings wake up in Azali and he finds himself a hero in this new reality.
I liked the idea of African children emulating African heroes. It was refreshing to read a children’s book that did not reference western-type heroes.
Atieno is a book lover, friend of the arts and grammar nazi.
#KeReads #HadithiZetu
