Chira by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye

About Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye

Chira by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye

The Luo concept of chira — a wasting illness or misfortune believed to result from breaking cultural taboos — provides the central framework for this quietly devastating novel. When a prosperous Nairobi family begins to unravel through illness, failed relationships, and unexplained misfortune, the question of whether they have violated the old laws comes to haunt them. Macgoye uses this concept to explore the tension between modernity and tradition, Christian faith and indigenous belief, urban aspiration and ancestral obligation. The novel is a thoughtful meditation on how cultural knowledge is lost and what that loss costs — personally and collectively — in a society that has moved rapidly from one world to another. Macgoye handles these themes with her characteristic nuance and deep respect for Luo culture.