The Sins of the Fathers

By Antony Obwari

After independence many African people got parcels of land from what had hitherto been colonial farms. This followed the settlement farm scheme aimed at indigenizing land. Not all, however, were fast to adapt to modern methods of production. The change of tenure systems and modern advances were much too fast. Most indigenous settlers therefore found themselves in modern settings which they approached with traditional methods that were largely inadequate. Kamau is one such farmer. He has familiarity with modern methods and likes to try out many of them but is always limited. This becomes increasingly critical so he starts to plan to sell a piece of his land. He owns an old model of tractor which he inherited from a colonial settler. It is working but much too old to do as much work as tractors should. In a sense the old McCormick becomes a symbol of a past that promised much but did not deliver as much. Post-colonial Africa, in this metaphoric sense, was always behind the developed world and only trying to catch up. She get entangled in many folds. The novel is therefore a subtle indictment of not only systems, but also of patriarchal societies that denigrate the contribution of women, and also of youth, even when they are educated. It sees hope in youth, education, idealism and positive change.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FQ56C4GQ
• ISBN13: 9798263780296
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"