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Speak Swahili Dammit
Speak Swahili, Dammit! This popular and well-reviewed book has now been revised with the assistance of several enthusiastic readers, former and current expatriates and Kenyan and Tanzanian friends.The captivating story recounts the humour and tragedy of the author's life as a young boy growing up in what was then colonial Tanganyika and Kenya, and the newly independent countries which emerged. It is a must-read for anyo... Full description
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2010
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November 23, 2013
1951. Francis James Penhaligon, also known as ‘Jimu’, the ‘Piri-Piri’, or Chilli-Pepper, was born in Kwazulu Natal (formerly known as the Natal province of South Africa). Due to his British dad's unfortunate health situation, the family was in dire straights. The situation forced his dad to apply for a job at a remote mine in Tanganyika(Tanzanya), near Lake Victoria.
His dad died eight months after they arrived there. It resulted in Jimu shooting God with his dad's rifle by pointing it heavenwards and pulling the trigger.
As fate would have it, he becomes emotional connected to their kitchen manager, Umali - the villainous raconteur and opportunist.
The young boy makes friends with his African playmates whom he meets as a toddler, going to the big old tree where all the nannies, or ayahs sit each day, allowing the children to play with each other all day . His first language would be Swahili and his best friends would be black.
The book takes the reader on hilarious adventures, as well as heartbreaking events. It is a memoir of an innocent, rebellious youngster's life in the African bush, where freedom is conquered by faraway school in Arusha and his only escape, or so he thought, was jumping through the back window of the bus. It was not the first, nor last escape from being white, he would plan!
My thoughts: It is an endearing collection of memories in which innocent children grew up together while politicians were planning a gruesome future for all. Children of that age did not understand their own histories, nor the actions of the grown-ups. For instance, Jimu did not understand the Marais-child's hatred of the English, who after all, killed 30 000 women and children in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa, implemented the scorched-earth policy in South Africa in which all farms were destroyed, livestock slaughtered or robbed, after 500 000 British soldiers died by the hand of 50 000 'Boers' before the war could finally end. The only way the Brits could win the war was to target the women and children of their enemy. The collective memory would become ingrained in the descendants forever, leaving bitter resentment on both sides. It took a gang of English kids to conquer one Marais in the boarding school. And since Jimu was of the lower-income English residents of the mine where his mom worked as an administrative assistant, and her children were regarded as low-class by fellow Brits in the community, he had only a deep resentment of Marais and all Boers to fuel his desire for a superiority complex - albeit misplaced and sadly ignorant.
In the 1950s, in the rest of Africa, liberation from colonization was on the rise. Children in this east-African colony, were unaware of the initial events leading up to it. But Jimboy experience several of the events that would lead up to independence day, 9th December 1964.
"The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919, when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate until independence on 9th December, 1961."- Wikipedia
The cruelty of the changing political landscape dots the hilarious boyhood stunts and makes this memoir both a heartwarming as well heartbreaking tale.
The humor is in-your-face, tell-it-like-it is, and the writing style very good. This book is written in the political correct, as well as politically accepted trend in publishing. How I wish this trend could be set aside and allow more children to write down their memories like this and get it published, because much more similar jewels would surface in the tale of mother Africa and its people.
A great read for any adult who,subconsciously, harbors a similar little rebellious boy in their hearts. There is much to learn and love from the book for everyone. It is a beautiful memoir.
His dad died eight months after they arrived there. It resulted in Jimu shooting God with his dad's rifle by pointing it heavenwards and pulling the trigger.
As fate would have it, he becomes emotional connected to their kitchen manager, Umali - the villainous raconteur and opportunist.
The young boy makes friends with his African playmates whom he meets as a toddler, going to the big old tree where all the nannies, or ayahs sit each day, allowing the children to play with each other all day . His first language would be Swahili and his best friends would be black.
The book takes the reader on hilarious adventures, as well as heartbreaking events. It is a memoir of an innocent, rebellious youngster's life in the African bush, where freedom is conquered by faraway school in Arusha and his only escape, or so he thought, was jumping through the back window of the bus. It was not the first, nor last escape from being white, he would plan!
My thoughts: It is an endearing collection of memories in which innocent children grew up together while politicians were planning a gruesome future for all. Children of that age did not understand their own histories, nor the actions of the grown-ups. For instance, Jimu did not understand the Marais-child's hatred of the English, who after all, killed 30 000 women and children in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa, implemented the scorched-earth policy in South Africa in which all farms were destroyed, livestock slaughtered or robbed, after 500 000 British soldiers died by the hand of 50 000 'Boers' before the war could finally end. The only way the Brits could win the war was to target the women and children of their enemy. The collective memory would become ingrained in the descendants forever, leaving bitter resentment on both sides. It took a gang of English kids to conquer one Marais in the boarding school. And since Jimu was of the lower-income English residents of the mine where his mom worked as an administrative assistant, and her children were regarded as low-class by fellow Brits in the community, he had only a deep resentment of Marais and all Boers to fuel his desire for a superiority complex - albeit misplaced and sadly ignorant.
In the 1950s, in the rest of Africa, liberation from colonization was on the rise. Children in this east-African colony, were unaware of the initial events leading up to it. But Jimboy experience several of the events that would lead up to independence day, 9th December 1964.
"The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919, when, under the League of Nations, it became a British mandate until independence on 9th December, 1961."- Wikipedia
The cruelty of the changing political landscape dots the hilarious boyhood stunts and makes this memoir both a heartwarming as well heartbreaking tale.
The humor is in-your-face, tell-it-like-it is, and the writing style very good. This book is written in the political correct, as well as politically accepted trend in publishing. How I wish this trend could be set aside and allow more children to write down their memories like this and get it published, because much more similar jewels would surface in the tale of mother Africa and its people.
A great read for any adult who,subconsciously, harbors a similar little rebellious boy in their hearts. There is much to learn and love from the book for everyone. It is a beautiful memoir.
February 1, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this book. It revolves around the author's life growing up in what was then Tanganyika and Kenya. There are a lot of light-hearted moments, and quite a few sad ones too.
As you might expect for a nonfiction book written about countries in Africa in this earlier time period, the author becomes quite comfortable with the idea that there will be illnesses, there will be deaths, there will be any number of things that can "get" you, from wildlife to severe illnesses and accidents when treatment can be hard to come by. However, as a child, he enjoyed quite a wonderful time living in Africa. He made friends, he played hard, he learned some tough lessons.
The book takes place when James is between 3 and 15 years of age, at which point he leaves Africa. A white child, he integrates and feels most comfortable speaking Swahili, rathern than English. He is accepted as a true African, and he revels in his role. When his mom decides he has become a little too African, she sends him off to boarding schools in other parts of the country. This is quite a miserable time for him.
When Africa begins to change, entering into a "post colonial" period, James is taken along for the ride, whether or not he wants to.
I highly recommend this book.
As you might expect for a nonfiction book written about countries in Africa in this earlier time period, the author becomes quite comfortable with the idea that there will be illnesses, there will be deaths, there will be any number of things that can "get" you, from wildlife to severe illnesses and accidents when treatment can be hard to come by. However, as a child, he enjoyed quite a wonderful time living in Africa. He made friends, he played hard, he learned some tough lessons.
The book takes place when James is between 3 and 15 years of age, at which point he leaves Africa. A white child, he integrates and feels most comfortable speaking Swahili, rathern than English. He is accepted as a true African, and he revels in his role. When his mom decides he has become a little too African, she sends him off to boarding schools in other parts of the country. This is quite a miserable time for him.
When Africa begins to change, entering into a "post colonial" period, James is taken along for the ride, whether or not he wants to.
I highly recommend this book.
September 7, 2016
I found that I was able to relate to so much in this autobiographical account of Jimu's childhood. Being about five years younger than the author and having learned more outside of the classroom than inside and having traveled and run away a lot during my formative years, the chords were striking and the bells were ringing all the way through.
The description of the book gives you a very good idea of what goes on in Jimu's life, but you have to read it to make the full discovery. I guarantee that you wil laugh a lot, and you will probably empathise with his antics. Furthermore, you can learn a smattering of Swahili. There are many basic phrases which are then repeated in English without interrupting the flow of the narrative. I admire that writing technique.
All in all, a lovely book and well worth picking up.
The description of the book gives you a very good idea of what goes on in Jimu's life, but you have to read it to make the full discovery. I guarantee that you wil laugh a lot, and you will probably empathise with his antics. Furthermore, you can learn a smattering of Swahili. There are many basic phrases which are then repeated in English without interrupting the flow of the narrative. I admire that writing technique.
All in all, a lovely book and well worth picking up.
May 27, 2015
OK, this book is not for everyone, but for those who have lived in, traveled in or are just interested in East Africa, this is a really fascinating and funny memoir of growing up in very rural northwestern Tanganika (now Tanzania) in the 1950s and 1960s. James Penhaligon's war-wounded English father and South African mother moved a few months after he was born in 1951 to a gold mine five hours by Land Rover and ferry from the nearest town (Mwanza). As both of his parents are working, he is raised largely by Africans and speaks Swahili before he speaks English. He moves easily between the two cultures, but he often feels most comfortable with his African friends. The usual childhood pranks take on a different dimension when a rogue lion or poisonous snake is involved.
January 23, 2012
'Speak Swahili Dammit!' is a thoroughly enjoyable,amusing and absorbing read,and I would have no reservations about recommending it, not only to anybody interested in the culture, experiences and history of colonial Africa, but to anybody looking for an enjoyable novel with interesting characters and an intrguing plot. The book is as addictive as it enthralling,and can only be described in superlatives.This book deserves to be made into a movie.
Read this book!
Read this book!
May 6, 2013
A boisterous book, full of raw humour, delivered in a blend of Swahili and broken English, which traces the young life of a British boy brought up - or rather let loose - in the wilds of Tanganyika. What fun.
But behind the banter, a very real world unfolds for an Africanised boy during the latter half of the Twentieth Century. With smatterings of World War history, and the natural thoughts and emotions of any youth anywhere.
Life, and death (when Jimu tries to shoot God for letting his father die), pranks and guilt. And some glimpses of the grand surrounds: "the sun is cut off and the sky darkens with great pregnant black storm clouds. Rolling thunder echoes between the hills, ear-piercing lightning bazookas between ground and sky, and the rain comes."
This book has it all - a rip-roaring, rib-tickling read against the uninhibited backdrop of raw Africa.
Great entertainment. But I do get a little weary of the continuous German-speak, with all those 'v's. Especially when the very British Lopey is talking.
But Jimu is growing up. I almost wish his bid for freedom resulted differently.
That's what Africa does to you. If you're not African, leaving is what has to happen, eventually. Does it?
I'm looking forward to the sequel.
But behind the banter, a very real world unfolds for an Africanised boy during the latter half of the Twentieth Century. With smatterings of World War history, and the natural thoughts and emotions of any youth anywhere.
Life, and death (when Jimu tries to shoot God for letting his father die), pranks and guilt. And some glimpses of the grand surrounds: "the sun is cut off and the sky darkens with great pregnant black storm clouds. Rolling thunder echoes between the hills, ear-piercing lightning bazookas between ground and sky, and the rain comes."
This book has it all - a rip-roaring, rib-tickling read against the uninhibited backdrop of raw Africa.
Great entertainment. But I do get a little weary of the continuous German-speak, with all those 'v's. Especially when the very British Lopey is talking.
But Jimu is growing up. I almost wish his bid for freedom resulted differently.
That's what Africa does to you. If you're not African, leaving is what has to happen, eventually. Does it?
I'm looking forward to the sequel.
January 14, 2012
Loved everything about this book. Funny, sad, informative, beautifully written. The best book I have read about East Africa, where I grew up - and I've read most of them. It's the heartwarming account of a small white boy growing up in a remote gold mining town in Tanganyika. Jimu captures the essence of Africa and the African psyche. This is one I shall read again and again.
November 26, 2012
You will love the Jimu Stories. The peeping on Gretchen while she showered was one of my favorites. I mean, I might have been born a girl, but in a band of four brothers, I was bound to get ruined and discover that boys get to do all the fun stuff. That's the thing about Speak Swahili, Dammit! You will love the book, and enjoy your own childhood memories when you read it.
December 16, 2013
Curious coming-of-age story... The Swahili was a little off in some places, but it was an interesting read.
February 6, 2015
I enjoyed the adventures of Jimu's African childhood, but this particular edition badly needs a new proofreader! I found multiple mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, in addition to the wrong word being used. Plantiff and plaintive are two different words! It was extremely distracting.
I would probably would rated it four stars had there not been so many long, irrelevant stories about passing characters.
I would probably would rated it four stars had there not been so many long, irrelevant stories about passing characters.
March 10, 2019
When I started reading this book, I didn't realize it would be so long. A memoir of about 600 pages, dedicated strictly to the author's childhood spent in Tanzania, then Tanganyika. Although I felt there was something amiss with his grammar, his storytelling was amazing. He managed to depict Tanzania and its people more vividly than anything else I've read about the country. He was there, he lived there in the bush with native Tanzanians, and spoke Swahili from his first baby steps so fluently that English was his second language. I can only be grateful for his eidetic memory and a superb talent for storytelling that we had a chance to relive those times in the form of this book.
June 12, 2019
Francis James Penhaligon (Jim) wird 1951 als fünftes Kind seiner Familie in der südafrikanischen Provinz Kwa Zulu geboren. Zwei Brüder sind fast 20 Jahre älter als er und leben nicht mehr in der Familie. Jims Vater rettete sich während des Zweiten Weltkriegs schwer verletzt aus einem sinkenden U-Boot der Royal Navy. Wegen seiner Kriegsverletzungen würde er keine Einstellungsuntersuchung mehr bestehen und bewirbt sich deshalb an einen Arbeitsplatz, an dem niemand nach Gesundheitszeugnissen fragt - eine Goldmine in Gaita, Tanganjika/Tansania nahe des Victoria-Sees. In Gaitas Expatriate-Gemeinde sammeln sich Gestrandete aller Nationen, Italiener, Sikhs, Askaris, die im ersten Weltkrieg unter Lettow Vorbeck dienten, und der Naziherrschaft entkommene Juden. Aufgrund des mit starkem Akzent gesprochenen Englisch ist eine Verständigung untereinander nur schwer möglich. Vater Penhaligon spricht krassen Cornischen Slang und besteht darauf, kein Engländer zu sein. Die sprachlichen Marotten seiner Figuren gibt Penhaligon so lebhaft wieder, als wären seine Leser direkte Zeugen der Gespräche.
Von seinem afrikanischen Kindermädchen Amali lernt "Jimbu" zuerst Swahili, die Lingua Franca Ostafrikas. Auch die Mutter arbeitet ganztags bei der Minen-Gesellschaft. Gemeinsam mit seinem besten Freund Lutoli wächst Jim zu einem schwer zu bändigenden Wildfang heran. Zur Belustigung der Einheimischen flucht er bereits in Swahili wie ein Alter, bevor er die Sprache seiner Eltern lernt. Swahili wird Penhaligon immer als seine Muttersprache empfinden, eng verbunden mit der Zuneigung Amalis und ihres Mannes Umali, einem begnadeten Geschichtenerzähler. "Speak Swahili, Dammit!" schleudert der Dreijährige ausgerechnet der Frau des Minen-Direktors entgegen, von dessen Wohlwollen die Arbeitsplätze aller abhängen. Wer Jim Vorschriften machen will, soll sich doch bitte zuerst verständlich ausdrücken. Zugeben, dass er auch etwas Englisch versteht, kann Jim notfalls auch noch später. Bald wird der kleine Rabauke erfahren, dass eine gemeinsame Sprache mit Umali für das Überleben in Gaita an erster Stelle steht. Umali kommt sofort mit einem Knüppel angespurtet, als Jim lauthals schreit, weil er beim Spielen einer schwarzen Mamba direkt in die Augen blickte. Die Kriegserlebnisse der Väter-Generation spielen in Jims Kindheit eine entscheidende Rolle. Natürlich kann der Autor sich nicht selbst an alle Ereignisse erinnern. Auf sympathische Art lässt er andere erzählen und überlässt ihnen den Ruhm des Geschichten-Erzählers: Umali, Jims zweitältestem Bruder und dem alten Askari-Krieger Fritz.
Traumatisierende Einschnitte in Jims Leben sind der frühe Tod seines Vaters und die eigene Einschulung im einzigen Internat für Weiße, mehr als 500 Meilen Auto-, Eisenbahn- und Fährfahrt vom heimatlichen Gaita entfernt. Seine Erlebnisse in der Schule bestätigen Jims Urteil - er hasst alle Weißen, besonders, wenn er ihnen zu gehorchen hat. Warum Jim nicht einfach in Gaita bleiben kann - schließlich hat Umali ihm alles beigebracht, was ein Mann können muss - darum wird er das gesamte Buch hindurch mit seiner Mutter kämpfen. Leider verlief ja sein Versuch im Sande, mit Lutoli im Busch hinter dem Haus einen eigenen Staat zu gründen.
James Penhaligon verknüpft seine Kindheitserinnerungen und die abenteuerliche Geschichte seiner Familie mit einem sehr liebenswerten Einblick in Sprache und Kultur Ostafrikas. Swahili ist für Jim zunächst die Sprache der Kriegserinnerungen (Anekdoten über Knarren & Kriege nehmen breiten Raum ein), des Aberglaubens und des beißenden Spotts. Ein Mann mit Glatze wird z. B. schlicht Landebahn genannt. Durch seine Verbundenheit mit Umali empfindet der Junge die Herablassung Weißer gegenüber den Einheimischen besonders schmerzhaft. Jim ist nur äußerlich weiß, im Herzen ist er Suaheli. Anekdoten mit hungrigen Löwen und frierenden Skorpionen, große Emotionen und ein überschaubares Quäntchen Zeitgeschichte hat Penhaligon gekonnt zu einer berührenden Biografie austariert. Ein tolles Buch.
Von seinem afrikanischen Kindermädchen Amali lernt "Jimbu" zuerst Swahili, die Lingua Franca Ostafrikas. Auch die Mutter arbeitet ganztags bei der Minen-Gesellschaft. Gemeinsam mit seinem besten Freund Lutoli wächst Jim zu einem schwer zu bändigenden Wildfang heran. Zur Belustigung der Einheimischen flucht er bereits in Swahili wie ein Alter, bevor er die Sprache seiner Eltern lernt. Swahili wird Penhaligon immer als seine Muttersprache empfinden, eng verbunden mit der Zuneigung Amalis und ihres Mannes Umali, einem begnadeten Geschichtenerzähler. "Speak Swahili, Dammit!" schleudert der Dreijährige ausgerechnet der Frau des Minen-Direktors entgegen, von dessen Wohlwollen die Arbeitsplätze aller abhängen. Wer Jim Vorschriften machen will, soll sich doch bitte zuerst verständlich ausdrücken. Zugeben, dass er auch etwas Englisch versteht, kann Jim notfalls auch noch später. Bald wird der kleine Rabauke erfahren, dass eine gemeinsame Sprache mit Umali für das Überleben in Gaita an erster Stelle steht. Umali kommt sofort mit einem Knüppel angespurtet, als Jim lauthals schreit, weil er beim Spielen einer schwarzen Mamba direkt in die Augen blickte. Die Kriegserlebnisse der Väter-Generation spielen in Jims Kindheit eine entscheidende Rolle. Natürlich kann der Autor sich nicht selbst an alle Ereignisse erinnern. Auf sympathische Art lässt er andere erzählen und überlässt ihnen den Ruhm des Geschichten-Erzählers: Umali, Jims zweitältestem Bruder und dem alten Askari-Krieger Fritz.
Traumatisierende Einschnitte in Jims Leben sind der frühe Tod seines Vaters und die eigene Einschulung im einzigen Internat für Weiße, mehr als 500 Meilen Auto-, Eisenbahn- und Fährfahrt vom heimatlichen Gaita entfernt. Seine Erlebnisse in der Schule bestätigen Jims Urteil - er hasst alle Weißen, besonders, wenn er ihnen zu gehorchen hat. Warum Jim nicht einfach in Gaita bleiben kann - schließlich hat Umali ihm alles beigebracht, was ein Mann können muss - darum wird er das gesamte Buch hindurch mit seiner Mutter kämpfen. Leider verlief ja sein Versuch im Sande, mit Lutoli im Busch hinter dem Haus einen eigenen Staat zu gründen.
James Penhaligon verknüpft seine Kindheitserinnerungen und die abenteuerliche Geschichte seiner Familie mit einem sehr liebenswerten Einblick in Sprache und Kultur Ostafrikas. Swahili ist für Jim zunächst die Sprache der Kriegserinnerungen (Anekdoten über Knarren & Kriege nehmen breiten Raum ein), des Aberglaubens und des beißenden Spotts. Ein Mann mit Glatze wird z. B. schlicht Landebahn genannt. Durch seine Verbundenheit mit Umali empfindet der Junge die Herablassung Weißer gegenüber den Einheimischen besonders schmerzhaft. Jim ist nur äußerlich weiß, im Herzen ist er Suaheli. Anekdoten mit hungrigen Löwen und frierenden Skorpionen, große Emotionen und ein überschaubares Quäntchen Zeitgeschichte hat Penhaligon gekonnt zu einer berührenden Biografie austariert. Ein tolles Buch.
June 17, 2012
If you were born in Africa, or have any African roots, you will throughly enjoy this book. But even if you do not have African roots you will still enjoy this well written memoir of life in Tanganika in the 1950's & 60's.
Born in South Africa, James Penhaligon's is brought up in Geita, a mining community in the middle of Nothing and Nowhere in Colonial Tanganika (now Tanzania). Being raised by the local community, James (or Jimu as he is known to the locals) speaks swahili before he learns to speak english.
Growing up in Geita is difficult for Jim as his African-taught values clash with the European values of his parents and the local white community. As a child Jim and his African friends participated in many games and pranks (as do all children) but with the danger of animals and snakes being so close, some of their games could easily have led to their deaths....
Born in South Africa, James Penhaligon's is brought up in Geita, a mining community in the middle of Nothing and Nowhere in Colonial Tanganika (now Tanzania). Being raised by the local community, James (or Jimu as he is known to the locals) speaks swahili before he learns to speak english.
Growing up in Geita is difficult for Jim as his African-taught values clash with the European values of his parents and the local white community. As a child Jim and his African friends participated in many games and pranks (as do all children) but with the danger of animals and snakes being so close, some of their games could easily have led to their deaths....
November 20, 2012
Truly an inspirational masterpiece, an autobiographical tale deep in detailed descriptions and accounts relay both gritty and romantic aspects to life in East Africa seen through the eyes of a young English born boy that knows no other world, which in turn adds an element of well-placed and very amusing humour.
This was a brilliant read, rated, in my opinion above the likes of Henri Charriere’s Papillon, not so much in its action as Speak Swahili holds a steady pace, but purely for the intelligent writing style and the profound effect the character seems to charm the reader with, his honesty and his mischievous adolescent skulduggery, mixed with the detailed analysis on social, political and everyday events makes this book a very interesting and entertaining read, original and complete.
This was a brilliant read, rated, in my opinion above the likes of Henri Charriere’s Papillon, not so much in its action as Speak Swahili holds a steady pace, but purely for the intelligent writing style and the profound effect the character seems to charm the reader with, his honesty and his mischievous adolescent skulduggery, mixed with the detailed analysis on social, political and everyday events makes this book a very interesting and entertaining read, original and complete.
March 2, 2012
I really really liked that book. I am not surprised that every single review on Amazon has given it 5 stars. Normally you look at the remaining pages to get to the end of a book to discover the conclusion. This however is a book you do not want to come to an end.
May 5, 2012
It took a few chapters to 'get into' this book - but, once I did, I loved it.
August 9, 2012
Very funny... I loved the style and and actually started to use some of the words I learned too
September 10, 2012
Loved this book!!
June 19, 2014
Possibly the best book on growing up in East Africa in existence.
September 15, 2021
Since finishing Duolingo's Swahili course, I've been looking for ways to get more exposure to Swahili culture. This has not been an easy task. There aren't many movies that take place on the Swahili coast, and the ones that do almost always tell their story from the perspective of an mzungu (a white foreigner), not a native Swahili. Plenty of documentaries have been made about the land and its peoples, but I'm in search of something less removed.
Mr. Penhaligon's autobiographical tale is an interesting middle ground between these two perspectives. The youngest son of a Cornish family living and working in the Tanganyika Territory after the second World War, then still a part of the British Empire, he had the rare experience of growing up as an mzungu in the Swahili world. Unencumbered by the racism and segregation that many African-bound Europeans enforced with their children, James or Jimu, as the natives called him, developed a strong bond with his Swahili neighbors, so strong that he came to feel a stronger affinity for their culture than his own imperial roots.
Through this book, I was able to get a taste of Swahili life. It may have been from the perspective of an mzungu, but Jimu himself will confirm that he's more Swahili than European. One thing I did enjoy as I made my way through the book was being able to recognize and understand the Swahili vocabulary that appears throughout. Most of the time I knew what the words meant before I read the author's English translation. This made me smile and gave my confidence a much-needed boost.
Mr. Penhaligon's autobiographical tale is an interesting middle ground between these two perspectives. The youngest son of a Cornish family living and working in the Tanganyika Territory after the second World War, then still a part of the British Empire, he had the rare experience of growing up as an mzungu in the Swahili world. Unencumbered by the racism and segregation that many African-bound Europeans enforced with their children, James or Jimu, as the natives called him, developed a strong bond with his Swahili neighbors, so strong that he came to feel a stronger affinity for their culture than his own imperial roots.
Through this book, I was able to get a taste of Swahili life. It may have been from the perspective of an mzungu, but Jimu himself will confirm that he's more Swahili than European. One thing I did enjoy as I made my way through the book was being able to recognize and understand the Swahili vocabulary that appears throughout. Most of the time I knew what the words meant before I read the author's English translation. This made me smile and gave my confidence a much-needed boost.
April 3, 2018
This was among the most affecting books I've read! It took months to read this memoir because I wasn't consistent, but each time I picked it up, "Jimu" wormed his way into my heart and gave me insight into his life in remote Geita, Tanganika (now Tanzania), East Africa, from the mid-1950s to 1964.
Penhaligon's voice illuminates the entire book. His ability to show, rather than tell, his experiences made them riveting, and his use of the present tense made them immediate. I could feel his fear, sickness, sorrow or joy in each passage.
I knew little about Africa or its relevance in WWI, and some references led me to Google to research the context or history. I count this as a plus. Interspersing Swahili (with translations) added even more color to the book.
Some reviewers complained about an earlier edition that had many grammatical errors. I found a few, but I attribute that to English being his second language. And some British writing conventions and/or spelling are different from "American" English.
Penhaligan's boyhood was funny and tragic; it is a testament to his skill that he was able to capture it. Thank you, James Penhaligon, for sharing your life.
He has been working on a sequel for a few years. I look forward to reading it.
Penhaligon's voice illuminates the entire book. His ability to show, rather than tell, his experiences made them riveting, and his use of the present tense made them immediate. I could feel his fear, sickness, sorrow or joy in each passage.
I knew little about Africa or its relevance in WWI, and some references led me to Google to research the context or history. I count this as a plus. Interspersing Swahili (with translations) added even more color to the book.
Some reviewers complained about an earlier edition that had many grammatical errors. I found a few, but I attribute that to English being his second language. And some British writing conventions and/or spelling are different from "American" English.
Penhaligan's boyhood was funny and tragic; it is a testament to his skill that he was able to capture it. Thank you, James Penhaligon, for sharing your life.
He has been working on a sequel for a few years. I look forward to reading it.
May 22, 2020
An account of the author's childhood in a goldmining settlement in Tanganyika in the 1950s and 1960s. News of Lumumba's imprisonment and Kennedy's assassination reached the community by radio, making this narrative contemporaneous with The Poisonwood Bible. He learned to speak from the African nannies and small children playing under the shade of a big tree. Even when he was old enough to be sent to boarding-school, which he hated, he thought in Swahili. I found the first half of the book more amusing and interesting than the second, and my attention was flagging before the story ended with the closing of the mine.
June 5, 2021
I grew up in Kenya, so I could relate to Penhaligon's connection to Africa and that feeling of having a foot on two shores. It was nice to see so much Swahili, though it must be "Tanzanian" Swahili and not Kenyan Swahili because some words were strange to me. The story dragged sometimes and often got bogged down with repetition; also, the age of Jim in the book did not line up with the wisdom of an obviously adult narrator. While the prose was choppy, it worked for me--a very unique style of writing. I enjoyed this book!
February 18, 2021
Most enjoyable
I really enjoyed this account of an English boy’s childhood in remote Tanganyika. Being so isolated, the local children, both European and African, invented their own entertainments, usually with amusing results. The author’s being fluent in Swahili certainly added to the drama. My only regret is that we did not learn how the family prospered after leaving. Perhaps that is another book....
I really enjoyed this account of an English boy’s childhood in remote Tanganyika. Being so isolated, the local children, both European and African, invented their own entertainments, usually with amusing results. The author’s being fluent in Swahili certainly added to the drama. My only regret is that we did not learn how the family prospered after leaving. Perhaps that is another book....
May 3, 2019
I really enjoyed reading about James' childhood in East Africa, as I lived in Kenya at about the same time, I also spoke very good Swahili, sadly I am now very rusty, but reading the book brought so much back! I could relate to his child good and friends as that is how it was, I lived between my grandparents two farms, a very special time of my life.
August 18, 2017
I love this book so much! I bought it as I wanted to read a book based in Tanzania. It's funny, heartwarming and gives you such a sense of the time and location. If you're travelling through Tanzania or living there for a while you'll really enjoy it.
April 26, 2018
African upbringing
Like other have said, it’s a rocky start, but stick with it. It’s worth it. The young life of a Cornish born lad raised up in Central Africa, during a time of great change.
Like other have said, it’s a rocky start, but stick with it. It’s worth it. The young life of a Cornish born lad raised up in Central Africa, during a time of great change.
August 4, 2018
This is the best book I have found which is specifically about Tanzania. It’s an honest, funny and sad reflection on life as an expat child soon after independence. The book is set in Geita, not far from Mwanza. *Not appropriate for children.
February 20, 2020
I haven't laughed so hard
His recollections are just incredible. The stuff a wonderful childhood is made up of. Childhood pranks, high jinks and overall fun that makes for great storytelling!!!
His recollections are just incredible. The stuff a wonderful childhood is made up of. Childhood pranks, high jinks and overall fun that makes for great storytelling!!!
March 8, 2021
Well written and excellent account of growing up in East Africa in the 50's/60's. Made the bush,animals and people come alive and gives a vivid account of the many situations and characters he met there.....looking forward to more!
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