Weep Not, Child Summary
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Weep Not, Child Overview

Weep Not, Child is the debut novel of Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Published in 1964 under the name James Ngugi, the novel tells the story of a Kikuyu family during the years of Kenya’s Mau Mau Rebellion. Njoroge, the youngest son, is given the opportunity to go to school, and the novel follows his progress through his childhood and adolescence in the missionary-led education system. Outside of that system, however, other family members’ experiences of the Uprising paint a darker picture of life in Kenya. The novel explores issues of race, education, social class, and gender.