Ripples in the Pool

By: Rebeka Njau

Rebeka Njau examines the deep divide between urban and rural life in postcolonial Africa.

In Ripples in the Pool, pioneering author Rebeka Njau follows the tragic tale of a love between two women and the futile fight for female independence.

Selina is a rich, metropolitan woman who has happily embraced the independence of city life. Newly married, Selina looks forward to starting her new life with her husband, Gikere.

Yet when Gikere’s mother implores her son to leave the city and return to his village, no amount of begging will make him refuse – even to the detriment of Selina’s own happiness.

As Selina adjusts to rural life, she encounters deep hostility from both her family and the wider community. She can't ignore her mother-in-law's animosity towards her Westernised ways nor the villagers' growing resentment.

Unexpectedly, Selina finds comfort in the affections of Gikere’s younger sister, Gaciru. Distancing herself from a marriage that has become increasingly violent, Selina falls deeper and deeper into a maddening love affair with ruinous results . . .