Kololo Hill

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What she did best however was bring out the human emotions of what it is like to loose everything and start over somewhere new, the ideas of home and belonging, what it is like to be in a new country.

The growing tensions of their life in Kampala are the subject of the first half of the book and the stakes are necessarily high. Shah explores the chaos and fear of ordinary people’s lives during Amin’s rule, weaving personal stories of love and betrayal into heightening tension and violence . A searing, timely, and beautifully written tale of displacement, the meaning of home, and developing identity across generations. Some characters cope better than others, underlining both the generational and psychological differences which exist within individuals.Jaya, the aging matriarch bears the burden of keeping her family united in the unsettling times of curfews, gunfire and army checkpoints.

I particularly loved the point of views from both Jaya and Asha as they served to demonstrate the changing position of women with their opposing views at times, coming from two different experiences as Indian women. Jaya, Pran’s mother, is the matriarchal head whose soft power chases to uphold the pride and dignity of her family while coping with the sudden loss of two men in her life—her husband who died from a fall after being threatened by soldiers and the houseboy, an unlikely companion, who disappeared without a word.I highly recommend this to historical-fiction enthusiasts, as it explores an under-represented part of European/African history, as well as highlights the dangers of modern-day military regimes and the insidious legacy of colonialism. Before I begin this review, let me clear one thing- even with my rating, would I still recommend this book? Vijay, who was born with a deformed arm is turned away from jobs and refused interviews, despite being more than capable and desperate to work.

Kenya had also made life very difficult for Asian business owners a few years earlier, but Amin took it further.

A very powerful storyline — a family displaced from their home and struggling to get on with their new life continuously being haunted by the ghost of their pasts and mistakes they’ve made. This makes it a dramatic and gripping experience because just as we become familiar with the daily life of this family they are uprooted and flung into a new life in England. The country rapidly descends into administrative anarchy as the supposed protectors (soldiers) became the aggressors thieving, raping, killing, with impunity. i've never been to London, but i do have some idea of what it's like now and in the past from books like Home Fire and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Ugandan Indian culture feels spot on to me and I can empathise with the positions of all of the main characters, all of whom are well fleshed out by the author and offer their own nuanced perspective upon each situation.