Petals of Blood

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Petals of Blood is a 1977 novel by Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. Set in Kenya just after independence, the story follows four characters – Munira, Abdulla, Wanja, and Karega – whose lives are intertwined due to the Mau Mau rebellion. In order to escape city life, each retreats to the small, pastoral village of Ilmorog. As the novel progresses, the characters deal with the repercussions of the Mau Mau rebellion as well as with a new, rapidly westernizing Kenya.