Summary

In Chapter 1, Wainaina opens his book as he is playing soccer with his older brother (Jimmy) and younger sister (Ciru). The year is 1978. At seven years old, Wainaina admits that he does not know “why everybody seems to know what they are doing and why they are doing it” (3). He comments on how his sister, Ciru, is the star child of the family. Later, alone in his room, Wainaina thinks about the power of words. He examines and studies the properties of the words "water" and "thirst."

On the pretext of discussing a friend in school who broke her leg, Wainaina mentions that his mother’s country of Uganda fell and was broken. He mentions Field Marshal Amin Dada, the president of Uganda. He indicates that the leader ate his minister for supper.

In Chapter 2, Wainaina recounts a time when he and his...