Title: The Colourful Bead Necklace of My Mother Tongue

Author: Lorna Sempele

Genre: Autobiography 

Category: Autobiographical novel

Lorna Sempele is an award-winning author and a woman passionate about her Maa (Maasai) heritage. Having grown up in different locations, she has a deep connection to the one thing constant in her life—her Maasai roots. In The Colourful Bead Necklace of My Mother Tongue, she paints a picture of what the traditions and culture of her people mean to her. This short but powerful read stirred something deep in me—a longing for connection to culture, traditions, and the roots that shaped me.

Sempele writes with the tone of one whose higher education only tightened her grasp on her roots. As a result, I felt like a foreigner being warmly welcomed into someone's home as I read this book.

Set in the semi-arid, hilly Maasai lands of Siyiapei, Kenya, The Colourful Bead Necklace of My Mother Tongue is an ode to the place that served as Sempele's ever-constant north star. These anecdotal stories of her short stays with her grandmother and other relatives in their home mark the pit-stops of her life as she grows from girl to woman. 

She moved frequently, pursued an education—something often inaccessible to girls from her area—and found herself the only Maasai girl at university. Each experience deepened her connection to her beloved Maa language.

With each word, Sempele captures the profound significance of the Maasai language and culture in her life. Her quest; to learn and hold firm to her mother tongue, even when immersed in a culture hurtling away from the past and into the future.

The Colourful Bead Necklace of My Mother Tongue is more than just a book—it’s an invitation to rediscover our own roots. While our collective society is hurtling towards the unknown future of technological advancement, Lorna Sempele's tenacious grasp on her language holds space for us to look to our own histories and hold fast to what is good, while we chase the promise of tomorrow.

Language carries with it any precious cultural values that one only realizes when one is older. - Lorna Sempele - 

Whether you're drawn to Maasai heritage or simply love stories that celebrate identity, this book will leave you with a renewed appreciation for language and tradition

A Literary Award Winner of the International Language Autobiography Award, 2016, the online version of this book is available in English, Maasai, and Catalan (a minority language in Spain).

I loved this book and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It fell short of a perfect 5 for me because it had several typos. 

Please note: If you are someone triggered by corporal punishment of children, be warned there is a section where the author shares a disciplinary story. 

(*SPOILER ALERT*)

On that note, however, I thought the author did a really good job of capturing the immediate pain the child felt and then broadening the scope of our view to show how communal discipline was just one part of a multi-faceted society. The way each child could expect to be chastened by any adult, and to the same degree, every child knew they could come to any adult for comfort, help, or advice. There was no abuse, simply a healthy, well-rounded culture.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves to delve into traditions, culture, and heritage. Also, anyone looking to expand their knowledge of other people groups, and anyone who loves a good campfire story.