For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings

by Troy Onyango

"A herald of literary wonders to come." - Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, author of Dust

"The vibrant intensities of Onyango's deftly crafted characters makes this collection of stories come alive." - TJ Benson, author of The Madhouse

Troy Onyango’s For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings is a collection of twelve short stories that have a quickening pulse and pages crackling with sharp observations and gentle revelations about love, loneliness, loss, longing, and the infinite intricacies of daily human life.

In the opening story, The Transfiguration a trans woman tries to find herself and a sense of belonging in the unkind streets of Nairobi. A sister relives two decades of sibling rivalry when the brother disappears in a lake in the titular story For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings. Two friends grow apart as they grow older and realise their paths diverge in Goodbye, So Long.

In these beautiful stories that straddle the breadth of Kenya, Troy's characters navigate the daily lived experiences that shape them, as they learn to cobble together an existence alongside a society with rules that do not quite fit.

"With accomplished perceptive prose and a voice that is all his own, Onyango transports the reader towards and beyond the unexplored frontiers and territories of the self. This debut collection of short stories is a crucial and long-awaited entry into the African literary tradition." - Rémy Ngamije, author of The Eternal Audience of One

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, African Literature, Kenya, Africa

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2022

Reviews

[BookOfCinz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of short stories from Kenyan author Troy Onyango! Fresh and unforgettable!

In this collection of 12 shorts stories we are taken to Kenya to meet characters who are all going through different challenges, but at the core of all of these stories is the heart of the people we meet. The stories covers themes of belonging, identity, loneliness, love, romance, missed opportunities, family secrets and gives a snapshot of what it means to be human.

Every single story felt deep and moving and it goes back to the brilliance of the writer. I feel so strongly for each character. My favourite stories were:
THE MATCH
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
WHIRLWIND
ORIGAMI
GOODBYE, SO LONG
LITTLE DA JU

I still cannot shake the story of the man in the wheel chair who matched with someone on an app. The loneliness he described was palatable, I felt so much for the character. The friends who have to part ways because one wants to leave the village for the big city. The man who gets sent away for being gay and never seeing his lover until he finds out he dies.

This collection is exceptional! If you loved A BROKEN PEOPLE’S PLAYLIST and WHERE THERE ARE MONSTERS you will enjoy this one.

[Ashley Muthaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by Troy Onyango. I’ve never heard of his work before but I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to reading more of his work. The stories cover a range of topics from love to heartbreak to loss to grief to domestic violence.

“Grief is cruel and memory is the vessel of that cruelty.”

[Ntwiga · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the saddest 2stars I have ever given. God knows how much I wanted this book to be good. Having read from Lagos all year I wanted a Nairobi author to wow me. I enjoy short stories quite a bit. I was excited about the first story with some significant Swahili in it having had to memorize the whole igbo alphabet within the year. After that it pretty much went downhill with a few average reads. Nilichoka yawa! At some point I started reading it from the back to front because I really wanted to give this book a chance. In the end some stories were incoherent. English words mumbo jambo-ed with punctuations mpaka I was like aaaiii acha ikae!

[Lulu Khalef · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…I was just writing to tell you that the woman who lives in apartment 4B told me that my mother didn’t raise me well. I think it’s true…”

It’s just one of those books that gets you hooked from the start. The writing is beautiful, witty and poetic but not in a pretentious manner. The different characters, all having different ways of being but yet all of them tied to the same thing, being Kenyan.

Onyango’s way of telling these stories feel like you’re being teleported into the world of these different characters and just watching it all unravel.

[Bernard Okwatta · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like every story requires its own full length book. I kept feeling most stories were stopped midway. It has very complex characters that can carry the story but maybe not in the continuous present tense way of writing(personal preference)

[Ayomikun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty good. I don't usually read short stories or collections like these but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I loved Onyango's writing style and the characters were all so interesting, each story made me want a full version of it.
My favourites were probably: Whirlwind, For What are Butterflies Without Their Wings, Goodbye so long, Sunset Dreams and This Little Light of Mine

[Akinyi Akinyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a beautifully narrated collection of twelve short stories, thoughtfully exploring themes such as LGBTQIA+ relationships and their complexities, alongside profound issues of death, grief, domestic violence, religion, childhood trauma, and the fundamental human need for belonging.

I believe the target audience of the book is more of the 'woke generation' and those who appreciate a writing style that blends poetic language with a compelling narrative.

The stories that especially stood out to me include "The Transfiguration," "For What Are The Butterflies Without Their Wings," "A Place With Many Doors," "Little Daju," "Origami," "Selah," and "This Little Light of Mine."

The book also encourages crucial empathy towards the LGBTQIA community. It makes you consider how many of us truly take the time to step into their shoes and contemplate the multifaceted challenges they face, from gaining acceptance within their families and within themselves to the significant costs and safety concerns associated with gender transition.

The raw depiction of a young girl's violent death during the post-election period brought back vivid and painful memories of the 2007 elections and the lives tragically lost. Seeing this reflected in the book, particularly against the backdrop of the current femicide crisis in the country, powerfully demonstrates how literature can act as a stark mirror to the deep-seated turmoils of our society.

I was captivated by the author's writing style and tone, which created such vivid imagery that I at some point felt transported to Nam Lolwe, seeing Nyawawas moving around.

This book was a truly enjoyable read, leaving me feeling uplifted and eager to discover more literary voices from Kenya.

[readwithlubbatu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've found my new love for short stories with; Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love and here I am falling deeply, throughly in love with yet another collection; For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings by Troy Onyango.

In the twelve stories that make up For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings themes of love, longing, grief, loss, youth, and sexuality all come together in one complete patchwork.
In these beautiful stories that straddle the breadth of Kenya, Troy's characters navigate the daily lived experiences that shape them, as they learn to cobble together an existence alongside a society with rules that do not quite fit.

The sense in which this author writes, pleases my soul and set my heart on fire. His poetic style of writing reminds me of Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson. His character development was so gorgeous and clever for short stories. The words he used in writing For What Are Butterflies Without Their Wings feels like they were selected. They flow, connected with one another and breath life into the imagination of a reader. I smiled, sympathized, and wept with these characters that were so close to my heart as my best friends. And I'm yearning for yet another work from this author.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Murugi Munyi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book.. not great but really good. I loved that the stories were varied and extremely descriptive. One felt like they were literally inside the character’s homes. Some stories left me feeling HUH?! While others left me feeling WTF 😭 some stories were difficult to follow and frustrating to read.

Unlike other short story books I have read though, this one wasn’t as easy to get through. The writing style isn’t very conversational or interactive. It’s more imaginary, in the mind kind of writing. So - not much is happening, instead much is being thought or imagined. I don’t know if that makes sense.

Nonetheless, a good book. 😊

[maritareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s no secret I am not a fan of short stories and this book did not change my mind. There’s just something about the writing which doesn’t feel developed and the stories don’t seem to conclude. However, the queer stories are compelling and eye opening (please write happy queer stories next time, god). Troy Onyango is a chameleon. I felt like he created new worlds in each story, like he lived every life in these stories. It’s very difficult to write slice of life stories and I think he pulls off that feeling. The stories where he weaves in Luo culture are the strongest. I came away learning things about my culture my parents would never teach me/ I would never know without research. He also writes on the edge of danger which you will understand once you read this book.

My stand outs are Sunset Dreams, a mother grieving the death of her child, For What are Butterflies without their Wings, the titular story of what it is like for girls growing up in patriarchal homes that favor boys and what effects it has on the entire family, and This Little Light of Mine, the quintessential example of modern dating with a sad twist.

[Tolu Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection by Troy Onyango is easily one of my favourite reads this year. The character from each story are so carefully constructed in ways that will stay with you for days. Onyango writes the most complex characters in the most absurd yet simple ways. Each story is a miracle of the form, because of how deceptively small they are. Onyango’s world in this collection is bigger than the stories. This collection reminds me of James Joyce’s The Dubliners because of how it feels as if all the narratives belong in the same universe, in the same world, walking around and about each other, fulfilling their own narrative arcs without intersecting each other necessarily.

[Abigael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book of the month pick from our book club. Quite a treat. Loved reading the short stories about queer characters, how mothers navigate grief, and how people deal with unexpected changes that threaten their long-held beliefs.
Loved interacting with the author too! Enjoyable, heavy and triggering.

[Adhiambo Chelang'at · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to meet Troy and fight him because how could a book be so beautifully heartbreaking and fulfilling at the same time! He stretches out your capacity for empathy through beautifully written stories that make you relate with the unrelatable! Gave me a serious book hangover!

[Nkechi⋆✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgot to record I was reading it, but it is so rare that a book has me gripped until the end, not the end for where the story ends, but even going as far as reading the acknowledgements! what did I think of the book? the short stories? hmmmm I don't maybe EVERYTHING!!!! I absolutely loved loved loved all the short stories I read! From the beginning to the end. from the sadness, confusion, anger, nervousness, to the hopeful feeling that each of the stories brought out from me. I feel like crying because of how tender each story was. Because of how beautiful Troy was able to depict each character, their life and well, their story🤣 I am soooo grateful for my mom for buying me this book (I mean she always ends up with the best picks) and even more grateful that I can always go back to some of these stories in search of comfort and I don't know feel whatever I felt throughout this read. Wow, like, just wow💝

[Eleonora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a personal issue with short stories, because what I enjoy is the development of the characters and the evolution of the plot, and 20 pages or so per story allow you only to give you a hint… overall I have enjoyed the writing, I liked as well the variety of characters that don’t focus only on one tribe or city in Kenya, but give a glimpse of the diversity of the country. Some stories are a straight punch in your stomach, some for me needed a bit more development, but it was a pleasant reading

[Dee Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what to make of this book. Some of the stories were lovely while some were disturbing. I didn’t like what seemed to be themes of pedophilia that came up quite a bit and the violence in some of the stories was so brutal I couldn’t even visualize it. Anyway, it’s not to say he’s not a good writer but the book itself had vague themes, rushed endings and were confusing in some aspects as to what he was trying to portray.

[Suzanne Majani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spotted this on a fellow bookworms page and it piqued my interest because it’s written by a Kenyan so patriotism kicked in but also the design of the cover is beautiful! This book is a collection of short stories with most of the stories having an LGBQ+ theme, other themes touched on are wife inheritance, disability stigma, online dating and catfishing. It has a lot of Kenyan & particularly Luo influence in the phrases which makes it so relatable.

[Anita Mogere · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit of a hard read in the beginning with the first few stories but from the middle towards the last few stories were well written. There’s a general theme of love, grief and family. All very relatable. Keen to see what Troy writes next.

[Rahma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a very niche book written with a specific audience in mind. Reading through it I felt it was funded by an organisation working for LGBTQs. Most of the stories have this component and sometimes they was not believable. For example in the story Selah, two old women whose husband have died end up in lesbian relationship!! Two rural old women who are set to be inherited by an old man.

The stories I loved the most are Selah and Sunset Dreams.

[Coded Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good collection. Enjoyed reading all the stories.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars are not enough. 10/5, 20/5, 50/5 maybe even 100000/5

[Muthoni Gatwiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Troy has a way of making grief beautiful. While the stories broke my heart, the nostalgia embedded in them had me thinking of happier times.
Beautiful read!

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down my favorite book of 2023 so far! The style of writing is so captivating and conjures a lot of different emotions across each story.

[Vicki Wangui · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are incredibly well-written and truly engaging. I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their journeys. I felt the pain in the stories of grief and longing.

[Emma Cheruto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book, highlighting the “unspoken realities” in current African setups.

[Nelson Manyala · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an intriguing collection of stories that are carefully crafted to not only leave you longing for more but also make you question so much about humanity and human relations in general.

[Azeeza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of 12 short stories. They are so beautiful, so so beautiful. Some of my favourites were Little Daju, Black is the Color of Absence, and the titular story.

[Angie Kastone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this.

[Kinda_read.ish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Style of writing is flawless..

[Nicole Ouko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories were all wonderfully written and I would have loved to read continuations of most if them.