Portraits of the Heart

A new collection of eleven short stories by Kenyan poet, fiction writer and development journalist, Gitura Mwaura. The stories are centred around tragedies that affect families - separation, illess and death - and how adults communicate these events to their children; or around themes of love and memory and the experiences of younger people. The first story 'Theuri' is about a married woman of thirty, Wangeci, who is infertile, and the close relationship she develops with Theuri, a child living on the same compound, until Theuri's mother dies. 'Mary' is a poignant story of how a young mother deals with the knowledge that she has AIDS, and with how to tell her young children. Her own mother encourages her to tell the children the truth, but the act is so painful it kills her. The stories convey complex ideas, but are written in clear, simple language - suitable for young adults as well as adults.