Ngugi wa Thiong'o's loving mother is the one who provides the young man with security after the rift with his father and lays the groundwork for his dreams. They make a pact: she enables him to attend school, and in return, he promises to always give his best - something that comes easily to Ngugi. The real challenge is finding his own path between tradition and modernity. Born in 1930s Kenya, Ngugi grows up in the shadow of World War II, under British colonial rule and amidst the emerging Mau Mau liberation movement. Ngugi wa Thiong'o's memoir reads like a coming-of-age novel: captivating, tender, shocking, and at times, humorous.