The Shrunken Dream

Linda Perry is a senior policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of
Colleges and Universities.

This rambling, episodic story, set in a pastoral village in East Africa,
provides a fine-tuned account of the daily lives of characters who are
linked in a complex family network that spans the generations. (Creider
introduces a bewildering cast—Chemutia, Chemai, Chelamai, Cheptabut,
Chepkiyeny, and Chepsisei are only a few of the 23 characters.)

Sukunwa is returning home to Kenya for a visit, having spent many years
in North America “listening to whites brag about their superiority
over blacks while they raped the world of its natural wealth.” But she
finds that life in Africa too has been diminished by the impact of
modernity. Rather than live as warriors, the Nandi men spend their lives
“getting married and getting drunk.” The women, although able to
maintain more of their conventions in the changing world, must contend
with the demands of social tradition and endless drudgery.

The strength of the work lies in the author’s sensitive portrayal of
Nandi life. Creider has published a number of scholarly works on the
Nandi, having spent four years in seclusion following her initiation,
during which she received instruction on the culture of her people.
Having also lived in North America, she brings a rich dual perspective
to the interpretation of her culture.