Weep Not, Child

'My father's land was taken from him. He died lonely, waiting for the white man to go. But the white man stayed. My father died on the land, working for another man. Now I too work for a white on the land that used to belong to us.'

'... But one day the land will return to us. I work here, waiting for that day.'

The tragic story of Njoroge and his family is set in Kenya in the 1950s.

A Note on the Historical Background to This Story 5

A Note on the Main Characters and Their Family Trees 7

Part One: The Waning Light 11

1 ‘Where Did Our Land Go?’ 13

2 Njoroge Goes to School 17

3 Ngotho and Mr Howlands 21

4 Kamau Talks to Njoroge 26

5 ‘Education is Everything’ 30

6 Fear and Anger 33

7 The Strike 37

Interlude 43


Part Two: Darkness Falls 45

8 Everyone is Afraid 47

9 ‘There’s no Safe Place’ 52

10 Mwihaki 57

11 ‘Will There Ever be Freedom?’ 61

12 The House of Pain 66

13 Two Deaths 72

14 His Last Hope… 76



Points of Understanding 81

Glossary 87

1 Terms to do with light and darkness 87

2 Terms to do with political systems and government 87

3 Unusual negative forms 89

4 Terms to do with emotions 90

5 General 90

List of titles at Upper Level 95