The Choice

A young adult novel by Mwamgwirani J. Mwakimatu (also given as Juma Mwamgwirani Mwakimatu in the source), winner of the Burt Award for African Literature. Mria is a secondary school student in love with David, a young man from her neighbourhood and a promising law student. Their relationship seems idyllic but is put under strain when David brings up the issue of pre-marital sex. Despite her love and fondness for David, Mria is against it. She has goals in her life, including graduating from secondary school, and refuses because she is afraid of becoming pregnant and being forced to quit school and give up her dreams. The novel addresses this timeless issue that faces adolescents as they take their first steps from childhood platonic intimacies into the larger world of adult relationships. The author deftly portrays the pressures suffered by Mria and David and surprises with the twists and turns of the narrative as the young pair face the choice between love and disreputable behaviour.