
A Fragile Hope
Ken N. Kamoche(Author)
Salt Publishing
Will be published approx. on 1. May 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
132 pages
978-1-84471-320-2 (ISBN)
Description
The short stories in 'A Fragile Hope' are set in different locales, from Nairobi and small villages and slums in Kenya to London and Copenhagen, from the bustling humid cities Hong Kong and Bangkok to Shanghai. They are testimony to the author's keen eye on his many travels around the world. They tell the poignant stories of love, betrayal, trials and tribulations, dreams and aspirations, corruption and greed, self-discovery and redemption. In 'Black fishnet stockings', a rich Nairobi couple get entangled in a liaison with their poor workers. In 'The Warrior's Last Job', a hangman in a small Kenyan village battles the demons from his dark past as he seeks to maintain the facade of a venerable strongman. In 'The Smell of Fresh Grass', a Hong Kong girl who is lost in the confusing world of Copenhagen learns to reconcile with her estranged father following a chance encounter with a roving African musician. In 'London Slaves', a newly-minted Kenyan tycoon in the UK comes face to face with a form of discrimination that makes no sense to him. In the final story 'And then the End', an elderly Chinese driver is forced to confront the reality of his boss's conviction for corruption. Many of these stories have previously been published in journals/magazines such as Ambit, Wasafiri, Kunapipi, New York Stories and Author-me. For the first time, readers can appreciate this kaleidoscopic picture of the breadth and depth of the human condition in a truly multi-cultural collection.
Reviews / Votes
With its varied cast, diverse themes, and fitting title, A FRAGILE HOPE extends beyond the Eurocentric East-West pathway. -- Wes Stevens * Asian Review of Books * Ken has devised an intricate interplay between family, dreams, and a kaleidoscope of culture, and he truly makes it work... This is a powerful short story collection. -- Bruce Cook * Reserve Books * These intricate stories, vivid and detailed, are the offerings of a writer whose future literary career is anything but fragile. -- Maureen Isaacson * The Sunday Independent (South Africa) *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Not illustrated
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 8 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84471-320-2 (9781844713202)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ken N. Kamoche was born in Kenya and currently teaches management in Hong Kong. He holds degrees from Nairobi and Oxford (Rhodes Scholar). He worked in Uganda as it emerged from the Idi Amin chaos, Somali weeks before it descended into civil war, and Poland while it was still truly communist. He has published four books on management and has completed a novel. 'An end so still' is his first collection of short stories. He is a columnist for Kenyan newspapers and on www.G21.net.
Content
The Smell of Fresh Grass
Private Lessons
The Dream Went Out
London Slaves
A Glimpse of Life
The Warrior's Last Job
Random Check
Black Fishnet Stockings
For a Favourite Niece
The Lion's Tears
And then the End
Private Lessons
The Dream Went Out
London Slaves
A Glimpse of Life
The Warrior's Last Job
Random Check
Black Fishnet Stockings
For a Favourite Niece
The Lion's Tears
And then the End