Midnight Begins a New Era

The colonial government has just arrested people it considers leading agitators for independence, an act that unleashes sudden and brutal changes resulting in dislocation of families of both the colonizers and the colonized. The exploitive minority government then declares war on its ethnic majority and the push-back brings about unintended consequences as individuals caught in the maelstrom strive to survive the upheaval.

Much has been written about the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya during the latter half of the twentieth century but little is told of the individuals who lived through this violent period or the monumental changes they experienced immediately after the country became independent. This is their story: one of four individuals as each learns to cope with perpetual uncertainty and danger during the tumultuous times of the struggle for independence in Kenya. Their resiliency under unimaginable conditions is as remarkable as it is heart wrenching.

Those who are familiar with the national flag of Kenya will recognize the message in the placement of colors on the book cover: a not too-subtle SOS.