Ali is a banker by day and an active socialite by night. Although it sounds like a normal life, it is anything but that. He is a gay Asian male running away from a background that includes a Hindu mother in postcolonial Kenya who had him watching Hindi cinema; an emotionally abusive bisexual lover; and the haunting memories of the death of his fatherat the hands of his mistress.

As he runs from one emotionally empty relationship to another, his world starts to fall apart as he begins to examine his childhood. A visit from his mother leads to a standoff between her and him over the Kenyan customs he was raised with, and how at odds it is with the homosexual lifestyle he now pursues.

The books helps paint vivid pictures of the Kenyan and Hindu cultures and the different influences that they have on Ali’s life, including his internal conflict. It has been made into a movie called, The Ode.

The author, Ghalib Dhalla is a Kenyan who has been writing for different magazines since the age of 13. He has been called one of the “Top 21 Tastemakers” by Genre Magazine. To learn more about him, visit his website or purchase the book here.