So what inspired me to write The Airlift Orphan?
By Marjory Kimani
The seed from which this book germinated was the Tom Mboya-John F. Kennedy airlifts which took place in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Dozens of young bright students from Kenya were given a chance to further their education in the United States of America. A Kenyan visionary, politician, and trade unionist, Tom Joseph Mboya, had seen that an independent Kenya would need its own well-educated citizens to steer the new nation as most of the colonial government workers were leaving.
Kendi, the chief persona in the story, is the daughter of a man who left his pregnant lover behind and failed to come back. The travails that Kendi and her mother go through at the hands of a ruthless society form the real gist of this story.
The story is entirely fictional but is primarily based on a historical event that actually took place.
Readers’ comments
The Airlift Orphan is a moving tale of, betrayal, sorrow, love, and ultimate redemption. Despite being based on historical happenings, the story is timeless and will entertain readers for generations to come. A sure winner. – Professor Wanjiru Wanyoike, Associate Professor of Mycology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Once I started reading The Airlift Orphan, I could not put it down. The novel has all the gems that a regular reader would want in a story, romance, betrayal, human resilience and fate. It contains such suspense and surprises that I couldn’t wait to turn the page. – Dr. Nicholas Ndegwa Kimani, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
A captivating story that gives insights to those of us who never met the airlift generation and brings to life other events that we have only heard remotely about. Fascinating. – Rosalind Wanjiru Gichuru, Accredited Leadership Coach.
About the author
Marjory Nyak?ago Kimani was born and educated in Mathira, Nyeri County before joining Alliance Girls High School. After working for various organizations, she retired to take up things she had always dreamt of doing – writing and promoting indigenous languages and culture.
Holder of a Diploma in African Studies, Marjory has to date written a novel in G?k?y? language, Mucii ni Mucii, A basic English-Kikuyu Translation Guide, and two English novels, The Chief’s Daughter, and Mwangi’s Adventure. She is also the founder of a Gikuyu language quarterly magazine, Mucii-in iitu as well as the founder and Patron of Furaha Cultural Center, an organization that teaches indigenous languages and promotes vernacular, traditional dances, folklore, and culture.
Marjory is married with four children and lives in Nairobi and Rurii in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.