The Perfect Nine

Starred review from October 15, 2020
Ngugi wa Thiong'o's (Minutes of Glory, 2019) eloquent retelling of an epic Kenyan origin story is essential reading and especially vital for our times. Told in verse, its plot, characterization, and setting are masterfully woven to create an enigmatic, yet uplifting atmosphere in which the human spirit and its interconnectedness with the natural world shine. The Perfect Nine is the legend of the Gikuyu people that tells of Gikuyu (man) and Mumbi (woman), who are placed by God on Mount Kenya. Gikuyu and Mumbi had nine daughters, but they were actually ten, hence the Perfect Nine. In his reimagining, Ngugi focuses on the daughters but also depicts the male suitors from all corners of the wind vying to be the 10 men left standing after others failed tests of character and resolve. Enthralling rivalries and challenges ensue, revealing bravery and cowardice, strength and weakness, pride and humility. Through obstacles and hardships, the daughters and their suitors persevere, finding unity through song, laughter, and dreams, ultimately forming the 10 clans of the Gikuyu people. Emphasizing fundamental cycles of birth, life, love, and death, this tale is centered on the Gikuyu but connected to all of us and our humanity, a story to be told and retold, as it has been in various forms, for generations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)