The Sound of Crows (eBook)

The Sound of Crows

By Mugo Maina

A quiet, lyrical novel about memory, loss, and the stories we carry.

The sun had barely risen when the caw of crows shattered the dawn’s hush—each sharp note unraveling the familiar world Amani once knew.

He returns home to find his mother huddled in the kitchen, her hands trembling over a chipped mug as she searches for names that no longer come. The humid air carries memories of damp earth and hymns she can no longer finish, and the house feels too small for the weight of every forgotten moment.

By day, she wanders the banana grove, speaking to trees as though they hold the secrets of her slipping mind. By night, Amani’s pen races across a worn notebook, stitching together fragments of grocery lists, Bible verses, and the stories she forgets—hoping that words can weave a tether strong enough to hold her in place.

When a long-absent visitor named Kamau emerges from memory’s shadows, the fragile peace is tested: can kinship built on whispered legends and shared laughter fend off the slow erosion of identity? As each chapter unfolds its own hush of loss and love, one question remains: What do we become when the names we cherish fade, and who will remember us then?

Perfect for readers of Ocean Vuong, Yaa Gyasi, or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

🔹 A poetic tribute to memory and mothers

🔹 A powerful fictional reflection on dementia, grief, and healing

🔹 Includes bonus epilogue and author's note

“Tell me a story,” she said. “If you can name the darkness, you can survive it.”

Read the first chapter free. (See Preview, above) But be warned—once you start, you won’t stop.