What is the setting of Petals of Blood by Ngugi wa Thiong'o?

Most of the action in Petals of Blood takes place in the north-central Kenyan town of Ilmorog. The town is in many ways one of the key characters in the novel. Its transformation parallels the transformation of the lives of its inhabitants and that of post-independence Kenya. None of the four protagonists comes from Ilmorog; all have fled to this dusty "wasteland" to escape their troubled pasts. Like the characters of the novel and like Kenya itself, Ilmorog is a complex place—it has been ravaged by colonial exploitation but still reflects communal values. Its traditional spirit is seen in stark contrast to the concern with money and power that is a feature of the city.