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A review by serendipitysbooks
We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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
4.5
We are all Birds of Uganda was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me. It unfolds in a dual timeline narrative. Sameer is a high-flying lawyer working in contemporary London but considering a move to Singapore, despite knowing it is going to really upset his traditional Muslim parents. Interspersed with Sameer’s chapters are letters from Sameer’s grandfather, Hasan, to his dead wife. They cover a key period in Ugandan history where South East Asians were stripped of their citizenship and forced out of the country, even if they had been born in Uganda and didn’t have citizenship elsewhere. On a visit to his parents Sameer meets a family friend and business associate from Uganda. Feeling very dissatisfied with his life he then decides to take a quick trip to Uganda, where he learns a lot more about his family history and where the two storylines come together.
This was a well-written story which incorporated many themes and tropes I tend to enjoy. It’s historical fiction with family conflict and a love story and explores themes such as family (especially the clash between family obligation and one’s personal wishes), community, belonging, identity, immigration, racism, religious prejudice, and the meaning of success. I thought the process of Sameer slowly realising the religious and racial prejudice he faced but had previously been able to ignore was well presented. The position of South East Asians in Ugandan society was handled in a very nuanced way, highlighting the way the were treated badly by the British colonial powers and by Amin’s administration while also exploring their own racism towards indigenous Africans and the harm they caused to them. Sameer’s efforts to establish a juice business was a great example. I also really enjoyed visiting Kampala with Sameer - the vivid descriptions invoking all the senses really brought the city alive for me.
This would make a great book flight with Kololo Hill which I read earlier this year since the both explore a similar topic - South East Asians expelled from Uganda and having to establish themselves in the UK - but have slightly differing emphases.
This was a well-written story which incorporated many themes and tropes I tend to enjoy. It’s historical fiction with family conflict and a love story and explores themes such as family (especially the clash between family obligation and one’s personal wishes), community, belonging, identity, immigration, racism, religious prejudice, and the meaning of success. I thought the process of Sameer slowly realising the religious and racial prejudice he faced but had previously been able to ignore was well presented. The position of South East Asians in Ugandan society was handled in a very nuanced way, highlighting the way the were treated badly by the British colonial powers and by Amin’s administration while also exploring their own racism towards indigenous Africans and the harm they caused to them. Sameer’s efforts to establish a juice business was a great example. I also really enjoyed visiting Kampala with Sameer - the vivid descriptions invoking all the senses really brought the city alive for me.
This would make a great book flight with Kololo Hill which I read earlier this year since the both explore a similar topic - South East Asians expelled from Uganda and having to establish themselves in the UK - but have slightly differing emphases.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Violence