Ogot initially wrote short stories in her first language, Luo; she would also write in Kiswahili and English, the two official national languages of Kenya. In 1966, her book The Promised Land, the first novel by a Kenyan woman writer and a work of lasting substance, was issued by Nairobi's East African Publishing House. In the novel, Nyapol, a young Luo woman, reveals an independent streak after her marriage to Ochola, her sympathetic but impractical husband. They attempt to escape poverty by migrating to Tanzania where farming will bring them prosperity. For a while, Tanzania's "promised land" lives up to its name, but jealous neighbors, led by a witch doctor who casts a spell, appear to bring on troubles for the couple when the husband comes down with a terrible skin affliction. Only when he decides to return to Kenya is Ochola cured of his mysterious disease. Throughout The Promised Land, Ogot characterizes Nyapol's conduct as an example of traditional Kenyan cultural values; she is a dutiful wife who protects and follows her husband. Similar characters appear in The Other Woman, a collection of short stories published in 1976. Above all else, preservation of the family is more important than the achievement of personal happiness, autonomy, or self-fulfillment.
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