The River and the Source Lesson Plan

Margaret Ogola's novel The River and the Source was published in 1994. The novel spans four generations of Kenyan women, spanning from pre-colonial Kenya all the way through independence and the post-colonial period. The novel explores the themes of female empowerment, motherhood, colonialism, and religion by touching on the cultural and political changes that occurred in the country. Ultimately, the novel is about the resilience and courage of Kenyan women while navigating these societal changes. In 1995, the novel received both the Commonwealth Writers Prize for the Best First Book in Africa and the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature. Encouraged by her debut novel's success, Ogola...