For our March book, the Zeda Book Club read Unbowed, the powerful memoir by Wangari Maathai, a woman whose legacy continues to inspire generations across the globe. Best known as the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Maathai’s story is not just one of accolades but of deep courage, resilience, and love for her country. Unbowed is a deeply personal and politically sharp narrative that speaks to the spirit of resistance and the necessity of care for the environment, for community, and for ourselves.
What stood out most to us was how Maathai traces the roots of her activism to her childhood in rural Nyeri. Surrounded by rivers, trees, and a strong sense of community, her early connection to the land becomes the emotional foundation of her life’s work. As Kenya transitions from colonial rule to independence and beyond, she remains grounded in a belief that true freedom must include environmental justice, gender equity, and civic participation. Her education abroad sharpens her tools, but it’s her return home, armed with knowledge and unwavering purpose, that sets her on a path of confrontation with deeply entrenched systems.
A core theme in Unbowed is resistance: to patriarchy, to authoritarianism, and to environmental degradation. Maathai does not romanticize the fight. She recounts arrests, beatings, public ridicule, and the loss of personal relationships as the cost of speaking truth to power in a system determined to silence her. Yet her tone remains hopeful, even graceful. Her defiance is not loud or self-congratulatory, but quiet, persistent, and grounded in collective action.
This sparked powerful conversations in our book club, especially around the idea of women’s labor in movements and the personal cost even of romantic relationships of being an outspoken woman. Maathai’s work, particularly through the Green Belt Movement, brought rural women into leadership, not through titles, but through action. Planting trees became a radical act of reclaiming land, asserting rights, and imagining new futures. Her story reminded us that activism doesn’t always look like protests or speeches. Sometimes, it’s digging into the soil with your bare hands and refusing to give up.
We also reflected on how Unbowed reframes leadership. Maathai didn’t seek power for its own sake, but for justice. In a political landscape rife with corruption, her principled stance made her a target, but also a beacon. Her love for Kenya is present on every page, as is her conviction. This resonated deeply with us as Kenyan women navigating our own ways of engaging with the nation’s future.
At Zeda Book Club, this book led us to ask ourselves: What seeds are we planting? How can we cultivate justice in our communities? It left us inspired to act, no matter how small the first step might seem.
Verdict
Unbowed is not just a memoir, it’s a guide for how to live with integrity and purpose. Maathai’s life reminds us that real change begins in the everyday, with speaking up, showing up, and staying rooted in what matters.
For anyone seeking courage, clarity, and a deeper understanding of Kenya’s environmental and political history through the eyes of a woman who refused to shrink herself, this is a must-read.
Zeda Book Club is open to women to join. We café hop and read a new book every month. We meet on the first Sunday of each month in Nairobi. Join the group here. Happy reading!
