Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu was born and raised in Nairobi and moved to the United States to attend college in 1998. She has an MA in journalism from the Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University and has worked as a journalist in New York City, Washington D.C., and Boston. She later received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Cape Town, graduating with distinction. Her fictional work has been published in Yale Review and Adda and she has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Lucky Girl is her debut novel.
REVIEWS
“Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu’s debut novel, Lucky Girl, is a coming-of-age story about a privileged but sheltered teenager in Kenya, Soila, who is eager for escape. . . . Lucky Girl is at its strongest when Muchemi-Ndiritu addresses the topic of American racism. . . . [Soila’s] honesty about her ‘different brand of Blackness,’ and ultimately her ability to drop the idea of it being a brand, make for some of the book’s most compelling passages.” -- The New York Times Book Review
“Muchemi-Ndiritu is a master of knitting together a narrative and then pulling away at the threads to unravel it . . . In her debut novel Lucky Girl, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu[‘s] . . . ability to learn from life’s ordeals on two continents, shed encumbrances, and pack up the positives to carry with her into the future exemplifies the luck she finally forms on her own terms.” -- Brittle Paper
“Lucky Girl is at times tender, at times funny, at times uncomfortably frank. . . . A fresh look at racism, privilege, and the challenges of coming-of-age and falling in love between two cultures.” -- Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
“From the leafy suburbs of Nairobi to the buzzing boroughs of New York City and back again, Lucky Girl is a glittering coming-of-age novel and a juicy indictment of the ‘tilted society of haves and have-nots.’ Muchemi-Ndiritu writes with spirit and nuance about privilege, race, and intergenerational heartache. I couldn’t put it down.” -- Alison B. Hart, author of The Work Wife
“Stimulating the heart and mind, Lucky Girl is an irresistible novel that captures the immense pressure—to be perfect, to live on our own terms, to love and be loved—of our times. Fiery conversations around race, belonging, and differing cultures give this debut its vibrant energy, but the hard-won wisdom is what allows it to soar. Most brilliantly, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu shows us what it means to live in balance, and how duties and dreams don’t always have to be at odds, especially when love is involved. Surprises abound, Lucky Girl is the literary gift we all need, making us the lucky ones.” -- Mateo Askaripour, New York Times bestselling author of Black Buck
“Muchemi-Ndiritu is a master of knitting together a narrative and then pulling away at the threads to unravel it . . . In her debut novel Lucky Girl, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu[‘s] . . . ability to learn from life’s ordeals on two continents, shed encumbrances, and pack up the positives to carry with her into the future exemplifies the luck she finally forms on her own terms.” -- Brittle Paper
“Lucky Girl is at times tender, at times funny, at times uncomfortably frank. . . . A fresh look at racism, privilege, and the challenges of coming-of-age and falling in love between two cultures.” -- Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
“From the leafy suburbs of Nairobi to the buzzing boroughs of New York City and back again, Lucky Girl is a glittering coming-of-age novel and a juicy indictment of the ‘tilted society of haves and have-nots.’ Muchemi-Ndiritu writes with spirit and nuance about privilege, race, and intergenerational heartache. I couldn’t put it down.” -- Alison B. Hart, author of The Work Wife
“Stimulating the heart and mind, Lucky Girl is an irresistible novel that captures the immense pressure—to be perfect, to live on our own terms, to love and be loved—of our times. Fiery conversations around race, belonging, and differing cultures give this debut its vibrant energy, but the hard-won wisdom is what allows it to soar. Most brilliantly, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu shows us what it means to live in balance, and how duties and dreams don’t always have to be at odds, especially when love is involved. Surprises abound, Lucky Girl is the literary gift we all need, making us the lucky ones.” -- Mateo Askaripour, New York Times bestselling author of Black Buck
[P] Dial Press / May 23, 2023
0.9" H x 8.0" L x 5.1" W (0.5 lbs) 336 pages