These are the narratives of being. They are stories, recollections, and musings of a proud and purposeful daughter of Africa - Enid Muthoni. Told in lyrical poetry and beautifully poetic prose - they are both heartbreaking and life affirming, brutal and gentle in turn.Be transfixed by the vivid images she paints of growing up, her family, traditions, relationships, and love, as well as conflict with both words and bullets, where she dares to ask, "does the blood ever stop flowing in Africa?" Where some girls never leave the village in which they are born, Enid refuses to bury her own ambitions and dreams in an unmarked grave. Riling against incessant labeling, categorization, and male dominated society she eventually finds herself sitting at the table with diplomats and politicians - a feminine force to be reckoned with - but always a small part of her heart remains in that small village on the slopes of Mt Kenya.Growing up as the eighth child in a family of eleven, she made a career of always swimming against the tide. She prided herself in being defiant, stubborn, and non-conformist, but still had time to idolize her siblings and delight in the intoxicating scent of a new-born baby. By striving for inherent bravery and perceptive wisdom, she believes that a person's life is never a mistake, and that to be a meaningful contributor to the world you must "experience the sweetness and beauty of the flower and have tasted too the prick of the thorn".