I got this as an Advance Reading Copy (so the final version could be different). I was already in the middle of several books, but I got so absorbed by this one that I still read it in three days.
The stories are organized thematically—Mothers & Children, Fighters & Martyrs, Secret Lives, and Shadows & Priests. As a general rule, I liked each story better than the last.
Prior to this book, the only book I had read by Ngũgĩ was [b:Wizard of the Crow|57485|Wizard of the Crow|Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421903577s/57485.jpg|848502], which was a hilarious novel full of magic. Because of this, I was initially surprised to see the realism and seriousness of most stories in Minutes of Glory (with the exception of "The Ghost of Michael Jackson"), but they were still excellent. Some highlights:
"The Martyr" is a fascinating critique of liberal colonialism and the ways that colonialism prevents people from seeing each other as fully human. "Wedding at the Cross" deals with class and the politics of respectability in a powerful way. "A Mercedes Funeral" is a wild ride all the way through.
My favorites were the last two stories. "Without a Shadow of Doubt" is a really cute story that seemed to be nonfictional/autobiographical about the narrator and his brother trying to catch shadows as children and the discoveries they made. "The Ghost of Michael Jackson" was a bizarre fantasy story critiquing the hypocrisy of religious leaders.
Overall, this is the best short story collection I've read in a while, and I plan to go find more of Ngũgĩ's books.