Harshi Syal Gill

African Quilt Harshi Syal Gill

AFRICAN QUILT is a collection of ten stories exploring the wide canvas of the Asian Indian experience in Kenya through the 20th century. There is a panopoly of humor, injustice, pathos, exploitation, wonderment in an age of innocence, and self-discovery in the stories. The characters, whose lives are subtly, but often dramatically, affected by their surroundings, and the political climate in a changing country, are ordinary in their origins, but rise to personal triumph and leave a mark on society.

In an era when the Asian Indian community lived largely segregated from their Kenyan counterparts, the Asian Indian lifestyle and culture are portrayed against an African backdrop. The stories transcend linguistic and cultural differences despite being ensconced in the confines of close-knit families, and an insular community. The early stages of the colonization of Kenya, and the eventual sunset over the British Empire are sensitively portrayed.