Wakizingatia historia ndefu ya uandishi katika lugha ya Kiswahili, majaji wa Tuzo ya Kiswahili ya Mabati-Cornell ya Fasihi ya Afrika wameeleza: Mashairi yaliyomo katika diwani hii yametumiliwa lugha iliyojaa taswira na majazanda yanayowakilisha vyema hisia zinazoelezwa katika dhamira mbalimbali. Mshairi amefaulu sana kuzitumia mbinu na miundo kadha wa kadha ili kuyajadili maswala yanayohusu hali na mazingira tafauti tafauti katika maisha ya binadamu. Anayazungumza maswala mazito mazito, lakini kwa namna ambayo hayamuelemei msomaji wake. Bali, badala yake, huwa yanamhimiza aendelee kuyasoma. Hata yale maswala makongwe, kwa mfano uhusiano baina ya wazazi na wana wao, yanajadiliwa kwa namna ya kuvutia na kuyafanya kama kwamba ndiyo mwanzo yanaanza kujadiliwa sasa. Dotto Rangimoto ni mtunzi stadi. Na diwani hii ni mchango mkubwa katika ushairi wa Kiswahili wa zama zetu hizi.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1870.

Children are the focus of marriage in African cultures. Marriage is considered full and functional only if the couple has children--in many cultures preferably a boy. Becoming a parent also contributes to one's full adulthood in the sense that childlessness blocks ascent towards full personal dignity as an adult person in the community. As a result, childlessness is often a major disaster for both of the spouses. It has social, economical, and personal consequences, quite often including divorce. This book explores in depth how childlessness is perceived, dealt with, and coped with in two Christian communities in Machame on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Childlessness is approached through narratives of the spouses concerned and the members of their communities. Their stories reveal pain and courage, brokenness and strength, faithfulness and betrayal. Christianity presents itself in an ambiguous light, on one hand, pressuring spouses to keep up facades supporting oppressive structures. On the other hand, Christian faith provides childless couples with personal hope in the afterlife that the African traditional culture offers only to those with children. This study proves that childlessness is not only a personal but also a communal problem. Childlessness and the fear of having no children contribute to family structures and sexual behavior. In this way, they have a considerable impact on the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. However, this study reveals that the attitudes and practices towards marriage and children need not be petrified, but rather that traditions can, and do, change.

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