Burning Grass

Burning Grass was the first novel written for publication in the African Writers Series, which had begun by reprinting books that had appeared elsewhere.

While the author was a non-Mbororo-Fulani, the book offers a convincing account of the values and ways of life of this community.

Under the sway of this wanderlust-inspiring spell, Mai Sunsaye is launched into several adventures, in the course of which he crosses path with Jalla, his oldest son, and other characters, including Baba, an enigmatic old man he meets in the deserted village of Old Chanka (evacuated by British colonial authorities, with inhabitants relocated to New Chanka, due to an outbreak of the tse-tse fly, the vector of the sleeping sickness), and a legendary and mysterious herds-woman known as Ligu, "the champion cattle-herder".

At the close of the novel, most of the family is reunited once more in Dokan Toro, and Mai Sunsaye finally dies from the strenuous tolls of his adventures.

Margaret Laurence described Burning Grass as containing "...many of the qualities of the traditional African tales, magical occurrences, mysterious and seductive women, acts of phenomenal heroism, swift-paced adventure.