waybeyondblue's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Slavery, Ableism, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy
laurao's review
There are two protagonists. The modern one is entirely written in passive voice and never takes control of his life. The one in the past is a hypocrite. It was a grating read. I wanted a book to learn about the history of Uganda and someone recommended this book to me, but the subject matter in Uganda is very specific and I have no way to put it in context yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Colonisation, Sexism, Racial slurs, and Deportation
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Religious bigotry
The content warnings are all relevant to the story either as part of history or part of culture.cecilialau_'s review
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
So so so a must-read. I really felt immersed in this one, and it is such a necessary book to read for its historically-linked narrative and uncomfortable truths; it’s just, wow, I’m almost speechless. It’s very effective if that makes sense, it’s sweet and heartwarming and a really tough read (bc it can be uncomfortable to be confronted with some of the themes that are rightfully explored)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcohol
remytherat's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
This story is told in two perspectives. The first, Sameer, an East African Asian lawyer, follows him just months before he's set to move for job; then his plans get changed quite dramatically. The second perspective is epistolary; it takes the form of letters written from Hasan (Sameer's grandfather) to his first wife, Amira.
This was an incredibly well-written story about identity, the nature of family, and the intergenerational effects of colonialism. The first half took a bit of time to get started, but the lyrical prose and characters who felt human made up for it.
The characters were really well written; Sameer's arc is well paced and has a realistic end. Sameer is a better person by the end of the book, but he isn't perfect.
While his arc is good, I ended up liking some of the side characters more than I liked Sameer; this, however, isn't really a bad thing. Annoying dudes™️ and bad people can still be really compelling characters, and Sameer really was. Zayyan's understanding of people felt really tangible the entire time I was reading.
The last third of the book is almost entirely dedicated to Sameer starting his juice start-up; I don't care about Business™️ at all, so that ended up being a bit of a slog to get through. Disappointingly, we learned very little about the actual juices.
This was an incredibly well-written story about identity, the nature of family, and the intergenerational effects of colonialism. The first half took a bit of time to get started, but the lyrical prose and characters who felt human made up for it.
The characters were really well written; Sameer's arc is well paced and has a realistic end. Sameer is a better person by the end of the book, but he isn't perfect.
While his arc is good, I ended up liking some of the side characters more than I liked Sameer; this, however, isn't really a bad thing. Annoying dudes™️ and bad people can still be really compelling characters, and Sameer really was. Zayyan's understanding of people felt really tangible the entire time I was reading.
The last third of the book is almost entirely dedicated to Sameer starting his juice start-up; I don't care about Business™️ at all, so that ended up being a bit of a slog to get through. Disappointingly, we learned very little about the actual juices.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Deportation, and Hate crime
Moderate: Alcoholism, War, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Classism
monty_mo's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Violence and Islamophobia
wordsofclover's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
We Are All Birds of Uganda follows a young lawyer called Sameer as he thrives in his high stress, long hours job as a London corporate lawyer, and receives good news on the job front that requires a move to Singapore. But Sameer struggles to tell his family that he is moving country, as the weight of his responsibilities as the son who should give back, lie heavy on his shoulders. Eventually Sameer takes a trip to Uganda, a country his grandfather and father forcefully emigrated from in 70s and he connects with the land and people.
There were lots of things I enjoyed in this book - from amazing food descriptions (I'm craving Indian food now but even more so Asian-Ugandan fusion food!) to intense, complicated family dynamics and a look into a world history I had no idea about. I feel so ignorant that before this book I had no idea about the Indian/Asian population in Uganda, and how this community was vilified during a period of unrest in Uganda to the point they were pretty much kicked out of the country despite growing successful businesses, and calling Uganda home.
There were times it was tough to read this book as Sameer's frustration and his lack of control over his own life screamed from the pages from the way his new boss treated him in his job, to how his family didn't think he should be able to live his own life and instead come back to the town he grew up in, live with his family once more and join the family business (plus give up financial independence and use the family account where the dad monitors all spending, which actually had me screaming in horror). I think Indian culture (possibly to an extreme level) is portrayed well in this book from the point of a modern British-East African Asian man loathe to conform to his father's ancient ideas of what a person should do. There were many times Sameer wasn't heard in this book, and times he should have been speaking louder.
I loved the descriptions and feels of Uganda when Sameer travels there, as well as the moments of beauty and love in Hasan's letters about his love for Uganda. It really brings to life a vibrant, colourful country yet it didn't shy away from the more troubling aspects such as the racism (both African-Asian, and Asian-African), as well as the poverty in the country. I appreciated how Sameer and Maryam had to face a life of being judged for being in a interracial couple, and they had to think about how hard this would be from them from all sides including disapproval from Sameer's family.
I did think Sameer was just a bit of a wet sock type of character. He was hard to figure out at times as it seemed his mind jumped to different things he wanted to do, and when things got hard he ducked out quickly. He went from loving lawyer life, to not wanting to be in it very quickly on his Ugandan trip, and the amount of times he changed his mind about things would give a reader whiplash. I didn't really respect him much as a character, and I just wanted him to have more conviction about everything. I did like how he renewed his relationship with God, and Maryam encouraged him to explore his feelings of faith.
The ending of this really annoyed me. It felt like there was so much unfinished business, and I think this also points out problems with the pace of the novel. So much time at the start is focused on Sameer in London, with Rahool and Jeremiah and by the time we see Sameer make big changes in his life, the book is 80% done so the repercussions are very rushed and we get a cliff hanger ending that just doesn't feel worth it. This book isn't a particularly happy read.
There were lots of things I enjoyed in this book - from amazing food descriptions (I'm craving Indian food now but even more so Asian-Ugandan fusion food!) to intense, complicated family dynamics and a look into a world history I had no idea about. I feel so ignorant that before this book I had no idea about the Indian/Asian population in Uganda, and how this community was vilified during a period of unrest in Uganda to the point they were pretty much kicked out of the country despite growing successful businesses, and calling Uganda home.
There were times it was tough to read this book as Sameer's frustration and his lack of control over his own life screamed from the pages from the way his new boss treated him in his job, to how his family didn't think he should be able to live his own life and instead come back to the town he grew up in, live with his family once more and join the family business (plus give up financial independence and use the family account where the dad monitors all spending, which actually had me screaming in horror). I think Indian culture (possibly to an extreme level) is portrayed well in this book from the point of a modern British-East African Asian man loathe to conform to his father's ancient ideas of what a person should do. There were many times Sameer wasn't heard in this book, and times he should have been speaking louder.
I loved the descriptions and feels of Uganda when Sameer travels there, as well as the moments of beauty and love in Hasan's letters about his love for Uganda. It really brings to life a vibrant, colourful country yet it didn't shy away from the more troubling aspects such as the racism (both African-Asian, and Asian-African), as well as the poverty in the country. I appreciated how Sameer and Maryam had to face a life of being judged for being in a interracial couple, and they had to think about how hard this would be from them from all sides including disapproval from Sameer's family.
I did think Sameer was just a bit of a wet sock type of character. He was hard to figure out at times as it seemed his mind jumped to different things he wanted to do, and when things got hard he ducked out quickly. He went from loving lawyer life, to not wanting to be in it very quickly on his Ugandan trip, and the amount of times he changed his mind about things would give a reader whiplash. I didn't really respect him much as a character, and I just wanted him to have more conviction about everything. I did like how he renewed his relationship with God, and Maryam encouraged him to explore his feelings of faith.
The ending of this really annoyed me. It felt like there was so much unfinished business, and I think this also points out problems with the pace of the novel. So much time at the start is focused on Sameer in London, with Rahool and Jeremiah and by the time we see Sameer make big changes in his life, the book is 80% done so the repercussions are very rushed and we get a cliff hanger ending that just doesn't feel worth it. This book isn't a particularly happy read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Fatphobia
qqjj's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Violence, Medical content, Racism, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Religious bigotry
poetskings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
allyjshand's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A moving novel discussing themes such as love, loss, identity, and race. Initially, I felt indifference towards the main protagonist however, by the end of the novel, Sameer undergoes such character growth that the reader feels extremely fond of him. I loved seeing how the narrative of Sameer his grandfather intertwined. I only wished the final chapter didn’t seem rushed - a lot of plot was put into the final few pages and then was not fully explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
bookswithhan's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
TW: Racism, Racial Slurs, Hate Crimes, Death
"If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going."
This book has been out for a while and whilst I'm furious I haven't had a copy in my hands sooner, I'm super grateful to have been sent a copy of the paperback which is released today.
We Are All Birds of Uganda is one of the most beautiful, clever and thoughtful debuts I've read. Two storylines woven together with one set in present day London and the other in 1960s Uganda, this generational family story will have you hooked immediately as the characters lives fuse together.
One of the most beautiful parts of the book was the rich history and depiction of life of the South Asian community in Uganda. I felt completely tranported in time and the vivid descriptions of places and characters had me googling Uganda and flights. The depiction of this country was told through such lyrical prose that allowed you to be in awe of the luscious and stunning views and birds.
Some of the topics throughout this are hefty and painful; from racial tensions to militant leaders, interracial love and lost identity, this book captures you and doesn't let you go until the final page. The idea of how our family and ancestors decisions impact our lives and ideas generations later is so interesting and powerful.
Zayyan has created a beautiful and perfect debut that has left me yearning to learn more about this devastating period of history. Historical fiction is this form of alternative characters and the format of love letters will have you hooked and adding Uganda to your travel list. Her writing is not only lyrical and tender, but motivated and powerful and she is a most worthy recipient of the Merky Books New Writers Prize. I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
"If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going."
This book has been out for a while and whilst I'm furious I haven't had a copy in my hands sooner, I'm super grateful to have been sent a copy of the paperback which is released today.
We Are All Birds of Uganda is one of the most beautiful, clever and thoughtful debuts I've read. Two storylines woven together with one set in present day London and the other in 1960s Uganda, this generational family story will have you hooked immediately as the characters lives fuse together.
One of the most beautiful parts of the book was the rich history and depiction of life of the South Asian community in Uganda. I felt completely tranported in time and the vivid descriptions of places and characters had me googling Uganda and flights. The depiction of this country was told through such lyrical prose that allowed you to be in awe of the luscious and stunning views and birds.
Some of the topics throughout this are hefty and painful; from racial tensions to militant leaders, interracial love and lost identity, this book captures you and doesn't let you go until the final page. The idea of how our family and ancestors decisions impact our lives and ideas generations later is so interesting and powerful.
Zayyan has created a beautiful and perfect debut that has left me yearning to learn more about this devastating period of history. Historical fiction is this form of alternative characters and the format of love letters will have you hooked and adding Uganda to your travel list. Her writing is not only lyrical and tender, but motivated and powerful and she is a most worthy recipient of the Merky Books New Writers Prize. I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime