Sugarcane with Salt offers a glimpse into the lives and traditions of those living in 1980s Malawi and explores the feeling of living like a stranger in your own country.

After almost a decade of studying medicine in London, Dr. Khumbo Dala finally decides to return to his village in Malawi. But on his arrival, he finds his family in total disarray and a society that has undergone enormous change. Shocked to learn of his younger brother's illegal activities and his mother's marriage to a white man, Khumbo must take responsibility for the family duties he has neglected for too long.

Writing with incredible depth and nuance, James Ng'ombe creates a novel full of intriguing characters, following their lives as they shape - and are shaped by - the dramatic circumstances around them.