Kenyan coffee is renowned all over the world for its distinctive quality
and hence reputation. It graces tables of the finest eateries from
London to New York, and has been romanticized by those who visited the
country and were enchanted by it. At one point it was the leading
contributor to the country's foreign revenue. Unknown to many in the
world the slavery-like conditions under which it is produced. Callused
Hands explores some of these difficult conditions under which this
precious 'black gold' is produced, and the unseen faces that grovel
under the surface in ensuring that gourmet consumers in the West are
fed.
"This is a great book! It makes me feel like it is a fresh and
imaginative story that makes sense the entire time of reading it. It is
well written and exceptionally compelling." - Sheena Brennan -
Publishing Editor
"The novel celebrates the spirit and bravery of disempowered women who
can, together, tip the balance in favour of workers and justice. This is
a compassionate and ultimately triumphant story. - Linda Cracknell,
Writer-in-Residence at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital
"Stanley Gazemba's Calloused Hands is an exciting work that re-imagines
hopelessness. In a sluggish almost non-committal fashion, the novel
creates ground for the readers to take a peek into the lives of the
'wretched of the earth.' One feels as though he has been sucked into
that bottomless pit from which the characters are struggling to come up
for air. The never-ending suffering becomes a bitter-sweet element that
angers and then provokes one to want to change the story- to make it
sweeter for all." - Dr. Fred Mbogo, Moi University
