Lonely Crowds is one of the strongest debut novels I have read in years. With echoes of My Brilliant Friend and Simone de Beauvoir’s Inseparable, Lonely Crowds follows two friends, Ruth and Maria, as they grow up, become artists, and occupy a space in each other’s lives that oscillates between friend, sister, and lover. Wambugu writes with clear, self-assured prose that is a pleasure to read. She executes such a mature and delicate character study of Ruth, a woman conflicted between her conventional, religious upbringing and her desires. I highly recommend this book and will be sure to pick up whatever Wambugu writes next.