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Kintu Paperback – May 16, 2017

by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Author), Aaron Bady (Introduction)

4.5 248 ratings

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Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2017

Winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize

Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize

"A soaring and sublime epic. One of those great stories that was just waiting to be told."—Marlon James, Man Booker Prize-winning author of A Brief History of Seven Killings

First published in Kenya in 2014 to critical and popular acclaim, Kintu is a modern classic, a multilayered narrative that reimagines the history of Uganda through the cursed bloodline of the Kintu clan. Divided into six sections, the novel begins in 1750, when Kintu Kidda sets out for the capital to pledge allegiance to the new leader of the Buganda Kingdom. Along the way, he unleashes a curse that will plague his family for generations. In an ambitious tale of a clan and a nation, Makumbi weaves together the stories of Kintu’s descendants as they seek to break from the burden of their shared past and reconcile the inheritance of tradition and the modern world that is their future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Magisterial."—The New York Review of Books

"With a novel that is inventive in scope, masterful in execution, she does for Ugandan literature what Chinua Achebe did for Nigerian writing."—Lesley Nneka Arimah, Guardian

"Kintu is a masterpiece, an absolute gem, the great Ugandan novel you didn't know you were waiting for."—Aaron Bady, The New Inquiry

"A masterpiece of cultural memory, Kintu is elegantly poised on the crossroads of tradition and modernity."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Makumbi takes a sniper’s aim at the themes of virility and power across time. Over the course of six rich sections, she fires not a single gratuitous shot."—Public Books

"Postcolonial literature is often thought of as a conversation between a native culture and a Western power that sought to dominate it . . . Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s marvelous Ugandan epic, Kintu, explodes such chauvinism."—Guernica

"Reminiscent of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, this work will appeal to lovers of African literature."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Passionate, original, and sharply observed, the novel decenters colonialism and makes Ugandan experience primary."—Book Riot

"With crisp details and precise prose, Makumbi draws us into the dynamic and vast world of Uganda—its rich history, its people’s intricate beliefs, and the collective weight of their steadfast customs."—World Literature Today

"Some authors set the bar high with their debut work. Then there are authors like Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi whose first novel succeeds on such a stratospheric level it’s nearly impossible to imagine—or wait for—what she’ll write next."—Iowa Gazette

"Jennifer Makumbi’s Kintu is a charming fable, a wide-ranging historical fiction, and a critical historiography . . . fresh, intelligent, critical, and ambitious."—Bookwitty

"Makumbi’s characters are compelling as individuals, but it is their shared past and journey toward a shared future that elevate the novel to an epic and enigmatic masterpiece."—The Riveter

"This is an extraordinary novel about a family bound together by love, betrayal, and an age-old curse, told in gripping language that continually surprises. A literary triumph.”—Maaza Mengiste, author of Beneath the Lion's Gaze

"A work of bold imagination and clear talent."—Ellah Allfrey, editor of Africa39

"An ambitious modern epic that takes in family saga and the history of Uganda, fusing the urgency of the present with the timelessness of myth."—Jamal Mahjoub, author of The Drift Latitudes

"Kintu is not just the story of a family, but a story of Uganda, a country whose history begins before colonization and encompasses far more than just that chapter."—Mary Pappalardo, New Delta Review

"Our histories and our names have stories that we cannot afford to keep quiet about."—Nyana Kakoma, Africa In Words

"Makumbi is clearly a creative genius."—Tope Salaudeen-Adegoke, Wawa Book Review

About the Author

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, a Ugandan novelist and short story writer, has a PhD from Lancaster University, where she now teaches. Her first novel, Kintu, won the Kwani? Manuscript Project in 2013 and was longlisted for the Etisalat Prize in 2014. Her story "Let's Tell This Story Properly" won the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She is currently working on her second novel and a collection of short stories, Travel Is to See, Return Is to Tell. Jennifer lives in Manchester, UK with her husband, Damian, and her son, Jordan.

Aaron Bady is a writer in Oakland and an editor at The New Inquiry.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transit Books; Reprint edition (May 16, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 446 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1945492015
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1945492013
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.25 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #301,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,100 in African American Demographic Studies (Books)
- #17,279 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #19,591 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 248 ratings

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Kindle Customer

Excellent US publisher in Oakland, near “Black Panther” ghetto public housing

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is a brilliant book, authentically African but far more accessible than, for example, a Nollywood movie (even with sub titles).

But after every UK house refused to publish, Transit Books of Oakland, CA - San Franciso’s black, poor shadow, where the American born, radicalized hero/villain of the “Black Panther” lived - bought and published on first reading.

A London edition followed, but the Brits are pretending they are not shame-faced, following a braver US house.

Found myself using Amazon “search” to see what other marvels were discovered in the Oakland ghetto, but found a major, even “mammoth” as the software just prompted, hole the properly vaunted Amazon search.

There seems no way to search for a publisher, not a title.

As this house just beat London on their home turf, and humbled New York, Amazon might consider helping readers and distinctively voiced publishers, by fixing the glitch.

Speaking of bad software, trying to tell Amazon about this problem tricked me - I was asked to start a chat by typing into a field, which I did at some length, whereupon my typing was erased and I was forced to start over if I wanted to “chat” perhaps with a bot.

As the roots in American reality of a comic book movies are.iterally blocks from a publisher beating the world to highlight brilliant African writing for Africans, I wanted to suggest Amazon invite this author to the US, as it seems Transit Books is too poor but honest for a tour, let alone promotion.

As the Financial Times of London undt Frankfurt reviewed the belated London edition, the “ha ha, Oakland beat London and NY to give us Kampala” angle is almost too good to be true.

And even if Amazon programmers are too stupid to simplify publisher search - and reduce the company’s monopolization litigation risk - I will look for more Oakland gems.

5 people found this helpful

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Melanie N

One of those books you will never forget

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2017

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I have found this to be a tale of brotherhood and blood relations (it takes a village!), and the strength of beliefs and convictions through the ages. The importance of roots and a sense of belonging.

Technically, the novel does not dwell on descriptives nor does it lose the reader in the narrative. Rather to the point; yet, not lacking on visuals, side stories, and reference points.

I appreciate that it lets the reader figure out foreign terminology and use our own creativity and imagination, through the evolution of the storyline.

Very vivid, though not prescriptive, depicting of personality traits and surroundings allows the reader to easily visualize every single element: characters, villages, food, landscape, etc.

After merely 20 pages, you have already developed feelings for the characters. You can feel their plight and understand their (re)actions.

Short chapters and quick pace.

Cons: you can't wait until the unraveling. Drags it out a bit longer than needed.

So many characters with so many different names makes you lose track of whose who in book six, and even throughout.

Nevertheless, this is going into my top 10 of "modern" literary musts.

14 people found this helpful

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Afoma

Impressive work!

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2017

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What a sprawling work of fiction laced with history! My favorite thing about this story is honestly the history. It's a bit more mythical than I'd expected, but I am fascinated anew by heritage. Kintu left me wishing I could trace my own lineage and return to the places my ancestors began in the 1700's.

When Kintu accidentally kills his adopted son, a curse is unleashed on his entire lineage. The curse manifests mostly as mental illnesses. This is concerning to me because obviously this is part of the reason why a large part of the African population thinks mental illness is anything other than illness. The whole curse layer of the story did not sit right with me because everyone now knows mental illnesses are genetic, "curse" or not.

However the author weaves a compelling tale of family and the importance of staying together even when families scatter across the globe. I thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about Uganda. I liked the use of indigenous language, even though it's a bit disconcerting at first to keep reading words you don't understand here and there. You get used to it.

The Kintu family tree is massive and it can be hard to keep track of family members but I just focused on remembering those whose stories mattered. At the end, there's a good tying together of the entire tale. Solid work here. Cannot wait to read more African literature that is full of history.

7 people found this helpful

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SALOME

Riveting

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2022

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Good read. Definitely will read more of her books. I love the defiance of representing her own country in literature.

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2021

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I couldn’t put this big-ole-book down.📘🤓 The level of research presented in this beautiful prose was amazing. After reading _A Girl Is A Body of Water_, I dived right into this one. If you’re looking for a well-crafted exploration of religion, spirituality, colonialism, and independence through one family line (1750s ~2000s) Makumbi has bars for days.

One person found this helpful

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AmmaLeigh

A Family History for the Ages

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018

Verified Purchase

Five stars because the story of Kintu and his descendants is the story of us all. From the 1700s they the 21st century this family has to reconcile two competing cultures - Western and African. Those that try to shun one or the other pay the price. The struggle between tradition and modern is an age old tale.

The writing is crisp and engaging. I wish the author had included a family tree for reference.

You will not be disappointed.

One person found this helpful

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lar

Uganda's Novel

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2020

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I'm traveling to Uganda and wanted to know something about the people before arriving. This novel, in English, is written for Ugandans: uses family names, local name-places not found on maps, refers to ethnic history known by Ugandans. Nevertheless it is well written and certainly gives one a sense of who lives in Uganda. Helpful to have read a 'history' of Uganda before starting Kintu.

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Karishma Bhagani

A wonderful, twisted and profound read

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020

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I loved the intertwined narratives all based on the myth of Kintu within Ganda culture. It is an easy but long read and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading contemporary African literature.

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Top reviews from other countries

F. S. W

A great novel with so many insights and teachings into Bugandan ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

A great novel with so many insights and teachings into Bugandan culture.It would be great to have more books like this and I hope @ Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi writes more.

One person found this helpful

Amisha

Beautiful brush!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2018

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I love my brush - it’s beautiful to look at as well as brushes my hair beautifully. Its definitely the best paddle brush I’ve ever owned!

Virginia Bird

Wonderful book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2018

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