We Are All Birds of Uganda
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
'A remarkably accomplished, polished debut.' MALORIE BLACKMAN
'Rightfully tipped for greatness' SUNDAY TIMES
'This moving tale of love and loss ... is well worth the wait' INDEPENDENT
'[W]hat's distinctive is the modern, multi-ethnic vision of masculinity she presents and the solidarity that emerges from it ... undeniably powerful too.' GUARDIAN
'[A] sprawling and epic dual narrative ... woven together with gentle urgency; sensitive and with a rare perspective on how our mixed race backgrounds can help form feelings of both internal power and conflict.' I-D MAGAZINE
'You can't exactly stop birds from flying, can you? They go where they will...'
1960s UGANDA. Hasan is struggling to run his family business following the sudden death of his wife. Just as he begins to see a way forward, a new regime seizes power, and a wave of rising prejudice threatens to sweep away everything he has built.
Present-day LONDON. Sameer, a young high-flying lawyer, senses an emptiness in what he thought was the life of his dreams. Called back to his family home by an unexpected tragedy, Sameer begins to find the missing pieces of himself not in his future plans, but in a past he never knew.
Shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Co-winner of the inaugural #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize in 2019, Hafsa Zayyan here underlines her sparkling potential with a bright, refreshing debut. A multi-layered story on family ties across generations, her story moves between 1960s’ Kampala in Uganda and present-day London. The effects of racism are trailed and expertly connected—from the expulsion of East African Asians at the hands of Idi Amin in the ’70s to racist violence in the UK and modern-day issues surrounding colourism across very different generations. Beautifully written and expertly split between the narratives of Hasan and his grandson Sameer, Zayyan is probing and compassionate in her storytelling.
Customer Reviews
A view of Uganda and its impact on a family.
I really enjoyed experiencing Uganda through the eyes of three different generations. The casual and endemic racism exposed within each community. The passion and love for a country both harsh and beautiful.
A wonderful read
A nostalgic expression of truths we are mostly too afraid to embrace.