RIVER BETWEEN by Ngugi tells the tale of two rival communities, Kameno and Makuyu, which face each other and are separated only by the Honia River. These two villages are in a constant battle over conflicting myths of leadership, which have been the bais of their arguments for many generations.

There is a strong religious undertone in the book, as the author talks about practices like circumcision and clitoridectomy (p. 12).

These ancient hills and ridges were the heart and soul of the land," writes Ngugi. "They kept the tribes' magic and rituals, pure and intact. Their people rejoiced together, giving one another the blood and warmth of their laughter... To the stranger, they kept dumb, breathing none of the secrets of which they were the guardians" (p. 3).

This cultural seclusion with its religious stability would not last forever, though, and Mugo wa Kibiro, "that great Gikuyu seer of...
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