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We Are All Birds of Uganda
'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
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2021
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November 7, 2020
“Your home, whatever it is, is where you feel safe, or at least grounded. To be pushed out of it, is to be marked with the scar of expulsion for the rest of your life.”
Izzeldin Abuelaish, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Dignity.
Present day London, and Sameer is a high flying lawyer, who has been presented with the opportunity to set up a new branch of the law firm he works for, in Singapore. He knows his parents won’t be happy about it, they’re still expecting him to return to the family flock in Leicester, to work in the family business. Sameer however, sees Singapore as a step up in his career, perhaps even a partnership if it all goes well, and working in his family’s business is the last thing he wants. However, before he goes to Singapore, he decides to take a trip to Uganda, to visit a family friend, and it’s during this trip that he uncovers his family’s past.
We’re then taken back to 1960’s Uganda where we meet Hasan, a kindly, family man, who is running a very successful business, that is until his sudden and unexpected expulsion from the country, because of his Asian descent. Asians were just one of many ethnic minorities being expelled during the reign of despotic dictator Idi Amin.
With flashbacks to Uganda over the decades, Hasan and Sameer’s lives are intricately woven together to bring us a family saga that prominently displays issues such as religion, racism, bullying and displacement, and covers themes that affect us all - love, loss, and family relationships.
Beautifully written, the storyline deals with the expulsion of East African Indians from Uganda, something of which I knew very little. These people lost everything that they’d toiled to achieve, but in reality, it could be said that they were lucky to escape with their lives, as dictator Idi Amin butchered ethnic minorities in their thousands during his murderous spree.
I always find these stories of displacement difficult to read, they elicit so many emotions, but this is a wonderful and deeply moving novel, and first time author Hafsa Zayyan should be justifiably proud of it.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone ( Merky Books) for an ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Izzeldin Abuelaish, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey on the Road to Peace and Dignity.
Present day London, and Sameer is a high flying lawyer, who has been presented with the opportunity to set up a new branch of the law firm he works for, in Singapore. He knows his parents won’t be happy about it, they’re still expecting him to return to the family flock in Leicester, to work in the family business. Sameer however, sees Singapore as a step up in his career, perhaps even a partnership if it all goes well, and working in his family’s business is the last thing he wants. However, before he goes to Singapore, he decides to take a trip to Uganda, to visit a family friend, and it’s during this trip that he uncovers his family’s past.
We’re then taken back to 1960’s Uganda where we meet Hasan, a kindly, family man, who is running a very successful business, that is until his sudden and unexpected expulsion from the country, because of his Asian descent. Asians were just one of many ethnic minorities being expelled during the reign of despotic dictator Idi Amin.
With flashbacks to Uganda over the decades, Hasan and Sameer’s lives are intricately woven together to bring us a family saga that prominently displays issues such as religion, racism, bullying and displacement, and covers themes that affect us all - love, loss, and family relationships.
Beautifully written, the storyline deals with the expulsion of East African Indians from Uganda, something of which I knew very little. These people lost everything that they’d toiled to achieve, but in reality, it could be said that they were lucky to escape with their lives, as dictator Idi Amin butchered ethnic minorities in their thousands during his murderous spree.
I always find these stories of displacement difficult to read, they elicit so many emotions, but this is a wonderful and deeply moving novel, and first time author Hafsa Zayyan should be justifiably proud of it.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone ( Merky Books) for an ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
July 28, 2021
Hafsa Zayyan is a successful London based laywer (daughter of a Nigerian father and Pakistani mother) specialising in international arbitration and litigation, who was the winner of the inaugural 2019 #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize with this her debut novel – due to be published in 2021, a sensitive exploration of racism, family identity and faith across a range of cultures and generations.
The book is split into two largely alternating sections.
The first is a present tense (and present day), third party point of view of Sameer – a high flying London based M&A lawyer for an international law firm. Sameer, Leicester born, is the only son of an Asian Muslim family exiled to the UK after Idi Amin’s 1972 expulsion of the Asians from Uganda – a family which has prospered in the UK with a series of Midlands based East African Asian cuisine restaurants (Kampala Nights). Sameer’s family see his high-flying career as something of a temporary aberration before he finally fulfils his destiny to rejoin the family business (and marry appropriately) – but Sameer is enthused by the prospect of a prestigious secondment to be part of a new office opening in Singapore.
The conflict between Sameer’s career and family obligations is complicated by a series of developments: his best friend and IT consultant Rahool deciding to quit an unfullfilling IT consultancy career and join the family vehicle rental business – increasing his family’s expectations that he will do the same; the loss of his main supporting Partner at work and the replacement with another partner (also to be head of the Singapore office) whose interactions with Sameer are peppered with racist micro-aggressions; a physical racist attack on Rahool which leaves him in a coma.
The second sections are a series of expository letters written over a timeframe which stretches from 1945 through 1981. They are written by Hasan, starting on the night of his marriage to his second wife, to his first wife and true-love Amira (who died unexpectedly). Hasan (Sameer’s grandfather) is a successful businessman and shop owner: the letters function effectively function as his narrative diary – a way for him to trace the rise of his business and then the increasing challenges it faces after independence with an increasing rise in African nationalism and Indophobia culminating in Amin’s actions (something which catches the overly optimistic Hasan – but not his family – largely by surprise). The letters are rather (perhaps unrealistically) exposition heavy and so function for the reader (and later Sameer when he is given them) as a history lesson.
The storylines converge when Sameer, largely to avoid the conflict he is facing between obligations, takes up an opportunity to visit a Ugandan based family friend – and while there visits the house where his grandfather used to live, now owned by the family of Abdullah – a black Ugandan muslim Hasan’s family assistant, turned right hand man (in what started as a case study in African/Asian partnership but increasingly became an awkward if not dangerous relationship for them both). There he strikes up a friendship with Abdullah’s grandaughter Maryam.
Where the book excels is in its multi-faceted views of racism – seen from both those in a privileged position and those who are the victims: in many cases the same people and groups taking both positions at different times and in different countries or places: Sameer for example experiencing Rahool as a victim of clear racial violence; becoming more and more conscious of what Hasan really felt about Abdullah and about how Hasan struggled when the non-privileged suddenly gained power; becoming more exposed to the current-day prejudices of his own family; shocked and in denial when the victim of prejudice in his own workplace but (when Jeremiah identifies it immediately) suddenly becoming all too aware that until now in his academic success and professional circles he has experienced almost no racism and that Jeremiah’s experience has been fundamentally different.
The book is also an unusually sympathetic and sensitive portrait of faith. Challenged by what he has seen and those he mixes with, particularly Maryam and her family, Sameer starts to take his own Islamic faith more seriously. And one of the real heroes of the book is Sameer’s other childhood and present day friend – Jeremiah, a black Christian from Leicester, increasingly successful as a music producer and a faithful friend and confidant to both Sameer and Rahool.
And the book has a fantastic sense of authenticity, not just in the descriptions of high pressured law firm life (no surprise given the author’s background) but equally (and more surprisingly) in its capture of Kampala and Uganda – although I have never visited the City I have friends who have lived there for years and the book closely matched their own descriptions.
And finally I was impressed with the book's unexpected and open ending.
Overall a worthwhile as well as enjoyable read.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC via NetGalley.
The book is split into two largely alternating sections.
The first is a present tense (and present day), third party point of view of Sameer – a high flying London based M&A lawyer for an international law firm. Sameer, Leicester born, is the only son of an Asian Muslim family exiled to the UK after Idi Amin’s 1972 expulsion of the Asians from Uganda – a family which has prospered in the UK with a series of Midlands based East African Asian cuisine restaurants (Kampala Nights). Sameer’s family see his high-flying career as something of a temporary aberration before he finally fulfils his destiny to rejoin the family business (and marry appropriately) – but Sameer is enthused by the prospect of a prestigious secondment to be part of a new office opening in Singapore.
The conflict between Sameer’s career and family obligations is complicated by a series of developments: his best friend and IT consultant Rahool deciding to quit an unfullfilling IT consultancy career and join the family vehicle rental business – increasing his family’s expectations that he will do the same; the loss of his main supporting Partner at work and the replacement with another partner (also to be head of the Singapore office) whose interactions with Sameer are peppered with racist micro-aggressions; a physical racist attack on Rahool which leaves him in a coma.
The second sections are a series of expository letters written over a timeframe which stretches from 1945 through 1981. They are written by Hasan, starting on the night of his marriage to his second wife, to his first wife and true-love Amira (who died unexpectedly). Hasan (Sameer’s grandfather) is a successful businessman and shop owner: the letters function effectively function as his narrative diary – a way for him to trace the rise of his business and then the increasing challenges it faces after independence with an increasing rise in African nationalism and Indophobia culminating in Amin’s actions (something which catches the overly optimistic Hasan – but not his family – largely by surprise). The letters are rather (perhaps unrealistically) exposition heavy and so function for the reader (and later Sameer when he is given them) as a history lesson.
The storylines converge when Sameer, largely to avoid the conflict he is facing between obligations, takes up an opportunity to visit a Ugandan based family friend – and while there visits the house where his grandfather used to live, now owned by the family of Abdullah – a black Ugandan muslim Hasan’s family assistant, turned right hand man (in what started as a case study in African/Asian partnership but increasingly became an awkward if not dangerous relationship for them both). There he strikes up a friendship with Abdullah’s grandaughter Maryam.
Where the book excels is in its multi-faceted views of racism – seen from both those in a privileged position and those who are the victims: in many cases the same people and groups taking both positions at different times and in different countries or places: Sameer for example experiencing Rahool as a victim of clear racial violence; becoming more and more conscious of what Hasan really felt about Abdullah and about how Hasan struggled when the non-privileged suddenly gained power; becoming more exposed to the current-day prejudices of his own family; shocked and in denial when the victim of prejudice in his own workplace but (when Jeremiah identifies it immediately) suddenly becoming all too aware that until now in his academic success and professional circles he has experienced almost no racism and that Jeremiah’s experience has been fundamentally different.
The book is also an unusually sympathetic and sensitive portrait of faith. Challenged by what he has seen and those he mixes with, particularly Maryam and her family, Sameer starts to take his own Islamic faith more seriously. And one of the real heroes of the book is Sameer’s other childhood and present day friend – Jeremiah, a black Christian from Leicester, increasingly successful as a music producer and a faithful friend and confidant to both Sameer and Rahool.
And the book has a fantastic sense of authenticity, not just in the descriptions of high pressured law firm life (no surprise given the author’s background) but equally (and more surprisingly) in its capture of Kampala and Uganda – although I have never visited the City I have friends who have lived there for years and the book closely matched their own descriptions.
And finally I was impressed with the book's unexpected and open ending.
Overall a worthwhile as well as enjoyable read.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC via NetGalley.
January 31, 2021
I love it when novels are so richly transportive they make me what to physically visit the place depicted in the story. The way in which protagonist Sameer visits Uganda in the later part of “We Are All Birds of Uganda” and experiences the spectacular sights and delicious food makes me want to go there too. That's not to say this book is like a travel brochure because it takes seriously the politically turbulent history, the complex effects of colonialism and the deadly consequences of the 1971 coup that occurred within the country. But Hafsa Zayyan's story also lovingly depicts this landscape whilst dramatically portraying multiple generations of a family forced to reconsider the meaning of home between their lives in Uganda and England.
The story alternates between high flying lawyer Sameer's life in present-day London and successful businessman Hasan who is still deeply mourning the loss of his first wife though he's remarried in 1960s Uganda. Many novels have used a dual narrative to dynamically tell their stories, but this excellent debut does this in such an artful way that adds tremendous meaning to the story. At first the narratives seem quite disparate but gradually the familial connection is made clear and at one point the two protagonists physically cross over into each other's countries. There's a beautiful symmetry to how this occurs in the narrative. Also, this isn't only a geographical change but it transforms each character's understanding of the world, themselves and the gaps between generations. Something this story captures so meaningfully is generational conflict and the importance of establishing an understanding between the young and old despite having different values.
Read my full review of We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan on LonesomeReader
The story alternates between high flying lawyer Sameer's life in present-day London and successful businessman Hasan who is still deeply mourning the loss of his first wife though he's remarried in 1960s Uganda. Many novels have used a dual narrative to dynamically tell their stories, but this excellent debut does this in such an artful way that adds tremendous meaning to the story. At first the narratives seem quite disparate but gradually the familial connection is made clear and at one point the two protagonists physically cross over into each other's countries. There's a beautiful symmetry to how this occurs in the narrative. Also, this isn't only a geographical change but it transforms each character's understanding of the world, themselves and the gaps between generations. Something this story captures so meaningfully is generational conflict and the importance of establishing an understanding between the young and old despite having different values.
Read my full review of We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan on LonesomeReader
June 5, 2022
We Are All Birds of Uganda is a debut novel that inspired rather conflicting feelings in me. At first, I enjoyed Hafsa Zayyan's ability to render her protagonist's environment. I was not surprised to discover that Zayyan is like her protagonist Sameer a lawyer based in London. Zayyan captures the stressful atmosphere of Sameer's office, the toll played by his long hours, the benefits of his high wage (he can afford a studio apartment in London), the ambition driving him. Things take a downturn when Sameer, who is possibly in his late twenties, begins to work under Chris. In spite of having been recognized as one of the most promising lawyers of his practice and that he will be part of the team to set up a new office in Singapore, Chris treats him like poorly. Chris takes issue with Sameer fasting on Ramadan and seems to go out of his way to bully Sameer. When Sameer's colleague, and until then friend, also begins to make remarks about 'tokenism' (implying that Sameer only got the Singapore gig because he is South Asian) Sameer feels justly alienated. When someone close to him is the victim of a racially motivated attack Sammer feels all the more lost. In spite of his success as a lawyer his own family refuse to cheer him on his career, wanting him instead to work for the family business. A confused Sameer makes a spur-of-the-moment decision and flies to Uganda, the country his own father and grandfather were forced to flee during the 1970s expulsion of Asians from Uganda. Between Sameer's chapters are excerpts from letters written by his grandfather to his deceased first wife.
I actually enjoyed the first section of this novel, when the story is focused on Sameer and his life in London. I liked the dynamic he has with his two friends and his experiences at the office felt realistic and believable. I wish that his relationship with his immediate family (particularly his father) had been explored more. As the child of immigrants, Sameer feels not only the pressure to make his family proud but he also wants to fit in with his British peers. The clash between personal freedom and familial obligations was interesting. Alas, his story takes a downward turn when he makes the sudden and kind of out-of-character choice to go to Uganda. Here the story turns into one that would have been better suited to a movie. Clichè after clichè. Sameer falls in love (of course) with a woman his parents will never approve of (of course). Maybe I would have believed in their romance more if he hadn't been so rushed. He sees her...and that's that. The beauty of insta-love! She's not like other women, he actually doesn't want to jump in her pants, he loves talking with her, she's smart, empathetic, and kind (which begs the question, why ever would she go for Sameer?). We even have a scene where she is wearing white and gets wet and he sees her nipples and dio mio! Really? The thing is, as much as I loved the author's description of Uganda (from its culture to its landscapes) her storyline lost all of its initial originality and authenticity. Sameer's behavior towards and thoughts about women made my skin crawl. The guy is a creep. And that the narrative has to compound his feelings about this woman by making him decline the flirtations of another one..? And of course, this other girl is portrayed as promiscuous and a flirt. He thinks about fucking her but his feelings for the woman he loves are so pure that he decides not to. Wow. How noble.
The grandfather's chapters were a wasted opportunity. They gave us information about Uganda and the 1970s expulsion of Asians but this information could have been imparted differently. Later on, Sameer comes across his grandfather's letters and learns more about Ugandan history, so why not insert here those facts that appeared in the grandfather's chapters? He certainly did not necessitate so many chapters! I never believed in his voice, and couldn't really visualize him or his relationship with the other characters. His letters were there only for us to be able to learn more about Uganda, which I appreciate but as I said I think this information could have been presented to us in a different way. I understand that family sagas have to have two timelines, but here one of the timelines was limited by its format (that of a letter to a dead person). Also, the grandfather seems to recount a few months and at times years in the span of one letter...which didn't really make sense. Does he write a letter to his dead wife every couple of years? Filling her in with all that happened since his last letter? And why would he give her information she would have already known?
The more I read the more my enthusiasm for this novel died out. I ended up hating Sameer and the predictable storyline. The relationship between parents/son and brother/sister were sadly undeveloped, sidetracked in favor of a clichèd romance.
All in all, I am quite disappointed by this one. The ending too was really grating (it reminded me of The Saint of Incipient Insanities and The Secret of the Grain) and made me want to scream: what was the point of it all?!
April 14, 2022
An immersive read that just did not let up!
Since reading and enjoying Jennifer Makumbi’s Manchester Happened I have had a huge fascination with Ugandan history and culture, which is why I picked up this book because I wanted to learn more.
We Are All Birds Of Uganda goes back and forth between 1960s Uganda and present day London. I am always a fan of stories being told in from different perspectives, especially when it is done in a way that we find out more about a family saga or history of a culture.
It is the 1960s in Uganda and things are changing fast. Hasan is the owner of multiple businesses, things are going great but he continues to struggle with the death of his wife. Even married to his second wife and having numerous children, he still cannot shake the death of his first wife. Added to this the new regime is in power and his business and family life gets shaken to the core.
Fast forward to present day London, we meet a descendant of Hasan, Sameer, who is young lawyer at the top of his game. He is comfortable, financially stable, lives in the perfect apartment and just landed the opportunity of a lifetime but everything gets shaken to the core when he receives news about his childhood friend. That leads him to quest what life is about, where he should be, what his focus is. He takes a trip Uganda and everything falls into place… or falls apart depending on how you look at it.
If you want to know about Uganda and what took place when the regime gained power, I highly recommend you read this book. I think the author did a great job of showcasing the fear of what it is like living during the time of great upheaval. I particularly loved reading about present day Sameer, it was sad (but also realistic) that some of the racism his father faced, he ended facing was well.. years later. Honestly, this is a great commentary on race, religion, history, love and family.
Please give this one a read.
Since reading and enjoying Jennifer Makumbi’s Manchester Happened I have had a huge fascination with Ugandan history and culture, which is why I picked up this book because I wanted to learn more.
We Are All Birds Of Uganda goes back and forth between 1960s Uganda and present day London. I am always a fan of stories being told in from different perspectives, especially when it is done in a way that we find out more about a family saga or history of a culture.
It is the 1960s in Uganda and things are changing fast. Hasan is the owner of multiple businesses, things are going great but he continues to struggle with the death of his wife. Even married to his second wife and having numerous children, he still cannot shake the death of his first wife. Added to this the new regime is in power and his business and family life gets shaken to the core.
Fast forward to present day London, we meet a descendant of Hasan, Sameer, who is young lawyer at the top of his game. He is comfortable, financially stable, lives in the perfect apartment and just landed the opportunity of a lifetime but everything gets shaken to the core when he receives news about his childhood friend. That leads him to quest what life is about, where he should be, what his focus is. He takes a trip Uganda and everything falls into place… or falls apart depending on how you look at it.
If you want to know about Uganda and what took place when the regime gained power, I highly recommend you read this book. I think the author did a great job of showcasing the fear of what it is like living during the time of great upheaval. I particularly loved reading about present day Sameer, it was sad (but also realistic) that some of the racism his father faced, he ended facing was well.. years later. Honestly, this is a great commentary on race, religion, history, love and family.
Please give this one a read.
June 19, 2023
"We have over a thousand species here in Uganda. Those you just saw are nothing special, common migrant birds from Europe and Asia...We were trying to exterminate them for a while, couldn't work out how to stop them coming back though - you can't exactly stop birds from flying, can you? They don't recognise borders - they go where they will...In a way, I suppose we are all birds of Uganda."
This is a debut novel. Zayyan is a dispute resolution lawyer based in London. She was one of the winners of the #Merky new writers prize in 2019 (a joint venture between penguin and Stormzy – I kid you not!) and this is the result. The novel pivots around Uganda and the history of one particular family. In 1972 Idi Amin expelled many of the East Asian population from the country. They had been moved there in the nineteenth century by the British to create a merchant class and to provide a buffer between the British and the African population. As a consequence the East Asian population owned many of the businesses in the country. Most of those expelled ended up in the UK, East Asian countries having refused them entry.
The novel tells the story of Sameer, a young London lawyer with prospects and the possibility of a lucrative move to Singapore. It also tells the story of his grandparents as they have to leave Uganda. That part of the novel is epistolary with letters from Hassan’s grandfather to his deceased first wife. The chapters alternate between the two and the switch of styles does work.
Zayyan deals with racism in its many forms, even micro-aggressions, which Sameer realises a little belatedly are part of his life. Family is central as is the tensions between the generations and the expectations that children will tread a path their parents approve of and marry someone from the right community. Identity and the relationship to faith is also important. Zayyan portrays the dislocation of having one’s life transplanted very well. The descriptions of Uganda itself resonate.
On the whole this was a success for me. I was concerned towards the end that Zayyan had tied up all the loose ends and was going for a rather conventional ending. Thankfully she didn’t and the last couple of sentences created uncertainty.
“If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going.”
This is a debut novel. Zayyan is a dispute resolution lawyer based in London. She was one of the winners of the #Merky new writers prize in 2019 (a joint venture between penguin and Stormzy – I kid you not!) and this is the result. The novel pivots around Uganda and the history of one particular family. In 1972 Idi Amin expelled many of the East Asian population from the country. They had been moved there in the nineteenth century by the British to create a merchant class and to provide a buffer between the British and the African population. As a consequence the East Asian population owned many of the businesses in the country. Most of those expelled ended up in the UK, East Asian countries having refused them entry.
The novel tells the story of Sameer, a young London lawyer with prospects and the possibility of a lucrative move to Singapore. It also tells the story of his grandparents as they have to leave Uganda. That part of the novel is epistolary with letters from Hassan’s grandfather to his deceased first wife. The chapters alternate between the two and the switch of styles does work.
Zayyan deals with racism in its many forms, even micro-aggressions, which Sameer realises a little belatedly are part of his life. Family is central as is the tensions between the generations and the expectations that children will tread a path their parents approve of and marry someone from the right community. Identity and the relationship to faith is also important. Zayyan portrays the dislocation of having one’s life transplanted very well. The descriptions of Uganda itself resonate.
On the whole this was a success for me. I was concerned towards the end that Zayyan had tied up all the loose ends and was going for a rather conventional ending. Thankfully she didn’t and the last couple of sentences created uncertainty.
“If you don't understand where you've come from, you'll never really understand who you are or where you're going.”
December 13, 2020
We Are All Birds of Uganda is a marriage between history and the present day; a reconciliation of old and new-found identities; an amalgamation of the strengths and struggles of the Ugandan-Asian diaspora, seeping through generations.
We follow two points of view; Sameer, a high-flying lawyer in London who despite having a successful career, chooses to quit and depart on a journey of self-discovery and purpose. Hasan's point of view is told entirely in epistolary form, as he lays bare his most inner thoughts, feelings and truths in letters to his deceased wife, Amira.
Racism is a keynote throughout; bubbling at the surface, as the past and present narratives parallel the experiences of the Asian community in Britain and the Asian-African racial tensions in Uganda.
Sameer's relentless quest for purpose and attempts at piecing together fragments of his identity are heartfelt and admirable. His feelings palpable, lifting off the pages, powered through Zayyan's sincere and expressive writing.
One of my favourite thing within the novel is the simplistic way in which Zayyan delineates Islaam. The gradual and tender process in which its tenets become woven into the threads of Sameer's being; offering itself as a spiritual haven.
As difficult as they were, I loved reading Hasan's chapters. His letters were historical anecdotes, painting a clear picture of turbulent Uganda under Idi Amin. History bleeds into the prose and writing, laying it bare. Feelings of despair and desperation suffocate the pages as Hasan, at one point is rendered stateless with no land to claim his own.
This novel was a revelation for me in many ways. It moved, enlightened and held me within its folds as a companion moving back and forth through time. I highly recommend it and sincerely hope that Hafsa considers giving us a sequel because that ending... 👀 I would also love more on Maryam, a character that inspired me in more ways than one. ✨
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That ending...
Review to come.
We follow two points of view; Sameer, a high-flying lawyer in London who despite having a successful career, chooses to quit and depart on a journey of self-discovery and purpose. Hasan's point of view is told entirely in epistolary form, as he lays bare his most inner thoughts, feelings and truths in letters to his deceased wife, Amira.
Racism is a keynote throughout; bubbling at the surface, as the past and present narratives parallel the experiences of the Asian community in Britain and the Asian-African racial tensions in Uganda.
Sameer's relentless quest for purpose and attempts at piecing together fragments of his identity are heartfelt and admirable. His feelings palpable, lifting off the pages, powered through Zayyan's sincere and expressive writing.
One of my favourite thing within the novel is the simplistic way in which Zayyan delineates Islaam. The gradual and tender process in which its tenets become woven into the threads of Sameer's being; offering itself as a spiritual haven.
As difficult as they were, I loved reading Hasan's chapters. His letters were historical anecdotes, painting a clear picture of turbulent Uganda under Idi Amin. History bleeds into the prose and writing, laying it bare. Feelings of despair and desperation suffocate the pages as Hasan, at one point is rendered stateless with no land to claim his own.
This novel was a revelation for me in many ways. It moved, enlightened and held me within its folds as a companion moving back and forth through time. I highly recommend it and sincerely hope that Hafsa considers giving us a sequel because that ending... 👀 I would also love more on Maryam, a character that inspired me in more ways than one. ✨
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
That ending...
Review to come.
June 4, 2021
How often do you pick up a book and see a character with the same age, ethnic origin (down to the same tiny village in Gujarat), and hometown as yourself? For me, a 25 year old, Kutchi guy from East Africa, you can imagine it doesn't happen very often. You have to understand - Asian East Africans have such a unique sense of blended heritage, we are Indians who migrated to East Africa who migrated to Britain - part of three cultures, and never wholly identifying with any one of those three, rather picking the best parts of each of our three homes across the globe.
So naturally, when I picked up We Are All Birds of Uganda, and saw this story which followed my family's journey from India to East Africa to Britain, I was enthralled. This is probably the first book that I read in which I needed no context to understand the characters, their struggles, their culture, traditions, religious practices, and even the language they spoke. Even down to the names of the characters - Sameer, Imran and even Sohail (a variant of my own name! In a mainstream novel?) are named shared by my own family members, Hafsa Zayyan tapped into the uniquely Asian East African condition, and translated it beautifully to be shared with the world.
The storyline is both contemporary and historical, we follow a split-narrative approach, following Sameer in the modern day, a hot-shot lawyer living in London, eager to escape his family in Leicester, along with Hasan, in 1960s Uganda, writing to his deceased first wife, recounting the political situation in Uganda as Idi Amin takes control of the country. Hafsa Zayyan explores culture, politics, race and religion in a way that I've never read before - intelligently, poetically, and explores both Asian and Ugandan responses to the Second Republic of Uganda.
This is a story quite dear to my heart. I grew up with the stories of Idi Amin. My grandmother was born in Uganda herself. My father had to flee Uganda along with his sister, crossing the border to my hometown of Tanzania. They were both young students in the country - alone, without their parents when Amin announced the expulsion. To see the wider political picture of this told within the novel was something that I won't soon forget. This book was incredible. I could talk about it for days.
So naturally, when I picked up We Are All Birds of Uganda, and saw this story which followed my family's journey from India to East Africa to Britain, I was enthralled. This is probably the first book that I read in which I needed no context to understand the characters, their struggles, their culture, traditions, religious practices, and even the language they spoke. Even down to the names of the characters - Sameer, Imran and even Sohail (a variant of my own name! In a mainstream novel?) are named shared by my own family members, Hafsa Zayyan tapped into the uniquely Asian East African condition, and translated it beautifully to be shared with the world.
The storyline is both contemporary and historical, we follow a split-narrative approach, following Sameer in the modern day, a hot-shot lawyer living in London, eager to escape his family in Leicester, along with Hasan, in 1960s Uganda, writing to his deceased first wife, recounting the political situation in Uganda as Idi Amin takes control of the country. Hafsa Zayyan explores culture, politics, race and religion in a way that I've never read before - intelligently, poetically, and explores both Asian and Ugandan responses to the Second Republic of Uganda.
This is a story quite dear to my heart. I grew up with the stories of Idi Amin. My grandmother was born in Uganda herself. My father had to flee Uganda along with his sister, crossing the border to my hometown of Tanzania. They were both young students in the country - alone, without their parents when Amin announced the expulsion. To see the wider political picture of this told within the novel was something that I won't soon forget. This book was incredible. I could talk about it for days.
August 28, 2021
In 1972, Idi Amin expelled the Asian population from Uganda.Many of the 80,000 were born in Uganda and had multigenerational roots in the country.They were originally brought to Uganda by the British as part of a policy that would establish a middle class to serve as a buffer between the European and African populations.At the time of the expulsion, Asians owned ninety percent of the businesses and most of the wealth in the country. “We are All Birds of Uganda” chronicles the effects of this displacement across generations and continents.
The narrative moves between two different timelines,alternating between Sameer in present day London and his grandfather Hasan in Uganda and Europe from 1945 through 1981.Sameer is a millennial who is on a fast track in a career as a London lawyer.In the early parts of the exposition, Sameer is struggling to balance the demands of his career with the expectations of his traditional Asian family. He is coping with the challenges of blending in with the colleagues in his firm as well as adhering to his family’s desire that he return to Leicester and become part of their restaurant business.
The chapters detailing Sameer’s life in London are interspersed with those of his grandfather Hasan.Hassan’s story is told In epistolary form.His letters chronicle his gradual success as a business owner and and reveal the challenges he faced as the Ugandan political climate gradually transformed to a xenophobic pro African tenor concurrent with rising anti Asian sentiment.The letters are a historical chronicle covering Hassan’s relationship with black Africans,his sense of displacement upon relocation and his sense of longing for his native country.
The dual storylines come together after a vicious racially motivated attack on one of Sameer’s childhood friends.Sameer has been largely insulated from racial animosity because of his level of achievement.This vicious incident, along with the escalating pressures of his familial obligations,prompts him to visit a family friend in Uganda in an effort to reconnect with his heritage and bring his life into sharper focus.
The combined storylines have a certain symmetry because now grandson and grandfather have crossed countries and must adapt to unfamiliar cultural circumstances.Their journeys make a statement about the impact of displacement and the search for a sense of belonging.Their stories bring into focus the question of when people of a diaspora can feel that they truly belong in their host country.How does a transposed culture balance their beliefs with those of their host nation? Additionally, the scope of the novel presents a very nuanced examination of the differing sides of racism.The perspectives of both the privileged and the oppressed are presented. It becomes apparent that these roles can be reversed depending on location and historical circumstance.
The author embeds these questions within a story that is a combination of travelogue between countries and a family historical saga. The novel is a remarkable and engaging work that highlights concerns about belonging and identity in a world that is experiencing inordinate disruptions and population shifts. It also highlights the ripple effects of colonialism in a largely post colonial world.We are left pondering many questions and are uncertain about solutions.
The narrative moves between two different timelines,alternating between Sameer in present day London and his grandfather Hasan in Uganda and Europe from 1945 through 1981.Sameer is a millennial who is on a fast track in a career as a London lawyer.In the early parts of the exposition, Sameer is struggling to balance the demands of his career with the expectations of his traditional Asian family. He is coping with the challenges of blending in with the colleagues in his firm as well as adhering to his family’s desire that he return to Leicester and become part of their restaurant business.
The chapters detailing Sameer’s life in London are interspersed with those of his grandfather Hasan.Hassan’s story is told In epistolary form.His letters chronicle his gradual success as a business owner and and reveal the challenges he faced as the Ugandan political climate gradually transformed to a xenophobic pro African tenor concurrent with rising anti Asian sentiment.The letters are a historical chronicle covering Hassan’s relationship with black Africans,his sense of displacement upon relocation and his sense of longing for his native country.
The dual storylines come together after a vicious racially motivated attack on one of Sameer’s childhood friends.Sameer has been largely insulated from racial animosity because of his level of achievement.This vicious incident, along with the escalating pressures of his familial obligations,prompts him to visit a family friend in Uganda in an effort to reconnect with his heritage and bring his life into sharper focus.
The combined storylines have a certain symmetry because now grandson and grandfather have crossed countries and must adapt to unfamiliar cultural circumstances.Their journeys make a statement about the impact of displacement and the search for a sense of belonging.Their stories bring into focus the question of when people of a diaspora can feel that they truly belong in their host country.How does a transposed culture balance their beliefs with those of their host nation? Additionally, the scope of the novel presents a very nuanced examination of the differing sides of racism.The perspectives of both the privileged and the oppressed are presented. It becomes apparent that these roles can be reversed depending on location and historical circumstance.
The author embeds these questions within a story that is a combination of travelogue between countries and a family historical saga. The novel is a remarkable and engaging work that highlights concerns about belonging and identity in a world that is experiencing inordinate disruptions and population shifts. It also highlights the ripple effects of colonialism in a largely post colonial world.We are left pondering many questions and are uncertain about solutions.
January 13, 2021
Entirely coincidentally, I read this book immediately after reading The Yield. Both books are multi-generational stories that deal with colonisation (Australia in The Yield, Uganda in this), racial tensions, and belonging. Also, both books use letters as a device for reviewing the historical aspect of their story (one long, serialised letter in The Yield, multiple letters over a prolonged period in this).
The letters in We Are All Birds Of Uganda are written by Hasan over the period 1945 to 1981. Most of this time, he is in Uganda and the period concerned covers some huge upheavals in that country, especially for immigrants from India, like Hasan, and their families. We trace the rise of Hasan’s business until the rise of Idi Amin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsi...) and then further forward in time.
These letters are mixed into the main narrative of the book which tells us the modern day story of Sameer. Sameer is a talented lawyer working for an international law firm and the book opens with his bosses offering him the chance to be part of the team opening a new office in Singapore. This is the kind of opportunity Sameer has always dreamed of. Of course, things are not that simple. Sameer’s family, moved to Leicester in the UK by the expulsion mentioned above, expects him to return to the family home, marry the right girl and become part of the (successful) family business. This conflict of interests for Sameer is then heightened by a number of further events. I think it is best to read the book to discover how the pressure on Sameer gradually grows. The action moves to Uganda when Sameer takes an opportunity to visit a family friend there and explore his roots (as well as to escape from the situation at home). The people he meets in Uganda come to shape his future and explain his past in ways he did not expect.
For me, the letters sections felt a bit forced. There is a lot of exposition in these letters which feels like it is for the reader’s benefit rather than being realistically what a man would write to the “love of his life”. That said, they are interesting to read and integrate well with the book’s other narrative strand.
Sameer’s story feels very realistic. Whilst I was reading this book, I had a discussion with Gumble’s Yard who read it a few weeks ago, and we both felt that it was good to read a book that presents religious faith in a positive light. Indeed, one of the things this book does well is be sympathetic towards both Islam and Christianity, or, at least, towards people from both those faiths. Sameer is prompted by events to take his Islamic faith more seriously and one of my favourite characters from the book is Jeremiah, a very likeable black Christian friend of Sameer’s who sticks by Sameer and has my favourite line of the book (it probably needs context for proper impact, but ”’You don’t know my guy,’ he says to Angela gently. ‘He’s the smartest person I know, and he doesn’t make decisions lightly. If he says she’s his soulmate, then she’s definitely his soulmate.’”). As well as believable people, the conflicts feel believable as do the locations (even though London is actually the only one I can claim any even basic knowledge of).
For a book that is almost 400 pages, this did not feel like a long book. It is very readable and I’m glad I read it. No spoilers, but the ending is my favourite novel ending for quite some time.
My thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.
The letters in We Are All Birds Of Uganda are written by Hasan over the period 1945 to 1981. Most of this time, he is in Uganda and the period concerned covers some huge upheavals in that country, especially for immigrants from India, like Hasan, and their families. We trace the rise of Hasan’s business until the rise of Idi Amin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsi...) and then further forward in time.
These letters are mixed into the main narrative of the book which tells us the modern day story of Sameer. Sameer is a talented lawyer working for an international law firm and the book opens with his bosses offering him the chance to be part of the team opening a new office in Singapore. This is the kind of opportunity Sameer has always dreamed of. Of course, things are not that simple. Sameer’s family, moved to Leicester in the UK by the expulsion mentioned above, expects him to return to the family home, marry the right girl and become part of the (successful) family business. This conflict of interests for Sameer is then heightened by a number of further events. I think it is best to read the book to discover how the pressure on Sameer gradually grows. The action moves to Uganda when Sameer takes an opportunity to visit a family friend there and explore his roots (as well as to escape from the situation at home). The people he meets in Uganda come to shape his future and explain his past in ways he did not expect.
For me, the letters sections felt a bit forced. There is a lot of exposition in these letters which feels like it is for the reader’s benefit rather than being realistically what a man would write to the “love of his life”. That said, they are interesting to read and integrate well with the book’s other narrative strand.
Sameer’s story feels very realistic. Whilst I was reading this book, I had a discussion with Gumble’s Yard who read it a few weeks ago, and we both felt that it was good to read a book that presents religious faith in a positive light. Indeed, one of the things this book does well is be sympathetic towards both Islam and Christianity, or, at least, towards people from both those faiths. Sameer is prompted by events to take his Islamic faith more seriously and one of my favourite characters from the book is Jeremiah, a very likeable black Christian friend of Sameer’s who sticks by Sameer and has my favourite line of the book (it probably needs context for proper impact, but ”’You don’t know my guy,’ he says to Angela gently. ‘He’s the smartest person I know, and he doesn’t make decisions lightly. If he says she’s his soulmate, then she’s definitely his soulmate.’”). As well as believable people, the conflicts feel believable as do the locations (even though London is actually the only one I can claim any even basic knowledge of).
For a book that is almost 400 pages, this did not feel like a long book. It is very readable and I’m glad I read it. No spoilers, but the ending is my favourite novel ending for quite some time.
My thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.
January 28, 2021
There's some interesting and relevant material here but as a novel this feels over-ambitious and a bit clumsy, the result, perhaps, of trying to do too much in one book.
One story is a modern-day tale of Sameer facing tensions between his 'Asian' and 'British' identities, foregrounded through family expectations and racial politics in his workplace, until he travels to 'find himself'.
The other interspersed strand is Sameer's family history as his grandfather writes letters to his dead wife telling her about his life under Idi Amin's regime. It's a rather clunky device that results in lots of 'telling', with an exposition-as-history feel.
I tended to find the writing quite flat. There are some interesting perspectives about race and prejudice, especially about how people can be both persecutors and persecuted depending on their different structural relationships, but as a novel I wasn't particularly engaged.
One story is a modern-day tale of Sameer facing tensions between his 'Asian' and 'British' identities, foregrounded through family expectations and racial politics in his workplace, until he travels to 'find himself'.
The other interspersed strand is Sameer's family history as his grandfather writes letters to his dead wife telling her about his life under Idi Amin's regime. It's a rather clunky device that results in lots of 'telling', with an exposition-as-history feel.
I tended to find the writing quite flat. There are some interesting perspectives about race and prejudice, especially about how people can be both persecutors and persecuted depending on their different structural relationships, but as a novel I wasn't particularly engaged.
July 2, 2021
Synopsis
Asian communities struggle for genuine acceptance in Uganda and in England (Leicester specifically). As commercial traders, their success comes from hard work, and the bonds of family and mutual support.
“why do the Africans think the British brought us to Uganda- trade and work skills” (103)
Once success has been achieved, the indigenous populations become antagonistic and aggressive. This is a book about wider societal resentment in Africa, and in England. There is not any great difference in the racial comments and the physical violence happening in the two very different nations.
In the Ugandan sections the author makes a distinction between Asian arrivals from India, and the more recent (Ugandan national debt driven) arrivals from China. Sameer is disparagingly called both muzungu (white person) and Muhindi (Indian).
The point is explicitly stated that the British were to blame for the simmering discontent that led to the deposition of the kabaka, and the eventual power grab by the army. Asians were invited into Uganda to be a buffer between British and Ugandans. A divide and rule policy was clear: Asians were not allowed own agricultural land; Africans were restricted from trade (254).
In England the Saeed family bring the “Kampala spirit to the Belgrave part of Leicester”. Traditional attitudes prevail. Family elders prepare the ground for suitable marriages, and identify suitable partners for their offspring. Zara, Sameer’s sister, shows some (not a lot) of adolescent defiance, and is accused of placing too much importance on “pyar” (a colloquial term for love in Hindi). Above all the bonds of family are put first; working together, living together, pooling financial resources, all underpin the ethos of the extended family unit.
Highlights/Hits
• The parts of the book set in Uganda were the strong point for me. Set around Nakasero Hill and Kololo, the manner in which the family arrived in Uganda from India in 1904 gives a great feel for the way in which the Asian population became an integral part of central Buganda in the twentieth century.
• You can tell Zayyan is an academic, and lawyer. The list of resources, journals, and further reading is the most exhaustive I have ever seen in index to a commercial novel!
• Great title: We Are All Birds of Uganda (160) ”they don’t recognise borders- they go where they will”…
Lowlights/Misses
• The love story between Sameer and Maryam was not only standard fare, but the dialogue between the two of them was at best clunky, and at times stilted. Its no good saying that the two of them talked for hours or were very easy in each others company, or in their companionable silences; it needs some passion, some fire, some chemistry. That was missing.
• The epistolary sections (1947-1981) written by Hasan didn’t come across as a convincing description of tragic loss, and the subject matter could just as easily been the thoughts of a third party narrator addressing the reader.
• The references to religious belief, in worship and in God. Sameer and Maryam both start to talk to each other about the importance of faith. Having introduced this dimension to their friendship, and for Sameer evaluation of where he was in his life, this needed much more examination.
Historical context
Just about every novel set in Uganda makes reference to Idi Amin. This is no exception.
Following Amin’s coup in Feb 1971, he introduces the “Common Man’s Charter”(147) which brings trade licensing rules that clobbers Asian businesses. Amin says he is just a caretaker, but this turns out to be far from the truth.
A Pepsi advert at Entebbe airport declares : “welcome to the Pearl of Africa”- the colonial legacy, and Churchill’s turn of phrase doesn’t fade away completely.
Author background & Reviews
The backstory to the writing of this book is a good one, and an interesting one. Zayyan is herself (like the protagonist Saeed), Cambridge University educated, and she lives in London (Shoreditch rather than Clerkenwell), and continues to work long hours in a central London law firm. Published by Merky Books, an imprint of Random House Penguin, the selections are curated by Stormzy. Zayyan won the inaugural Merky Books New Writer’s Prize in 2019.
Recommend
For those readers with an interest in sub Saharan Africa literature this is enlightening for the Asian perspective on Uganda. A (different) readership might well enjoy the more conventional love story emerging despite the resistance of family members.
Asian communities struggle for genuine acceptance in Uganda and in England (Leicester specifically). As commercial traders, their success comes from hard work, and the bonds of family and mutual support.
“why do the Africans think the British brought us to Uganda- trade and work skills” (103)
Once success has been achieved, the indigenous populations become antagonistic and aggressive. This is a book about wider societal resentment in Africa, and in England. There is not any great difference in the racial comments and the physical violence happening in the two very different nations.
In the Ugandan sections the author makes a distinction between Asian arrivals from India, and the more recent (Ugandan national debt driven) arrivals from China. Sameer is disparagingly called both muzungu (white person) and Muhindi (Indian).
The point is explicitly stated that the British were to blame for the simmering discontent that led to the deposition of the kabaka, and the eventual power grab by the army. Asians were invited into Uganda to be a buffer between British and Ugandans. A divide and rule policy was clear: Asians were not allowed own agricultural land; Africans were restricted from trade (254).
In England the Saeed family bring the “Kampala spirit to the Belgrave part of Leicester”. Traditional attitudes prevail. Family elders prepare the ground for suitable marriages, and identify suitable partners for their offspring. Zara, Sameer’s sister, shows some (not a lot) of adolescent defiance, and is accused of placing too much importance on “pyar” (a colloquial term for love in Hindi). Above all the bonds of family are put first; working together, living together, pooling financial resources, all underpin the ethos of the extended family unit.
Highlights/Hits
• The parts of the book set in Uganda were the strong point for me. Set around Nakasero Hill and Kololo, the manner in which the family arrived in Uganda from India in 1904 gives a great feel for the way in which the Asian population became an integral part of central Buganda in the twentieth century.
• You can tell Zayyan is an academic, and lawyer. The list of resources, journals, and further reading is the most exhaustive I have ever seen in index to a commercial novel!
• Great title: We Are All Birds of Uganda (160) ”they don’t recognise borders- they go where they will”…
Lowlights/Misses
• The love story between Sameer and Maryam was not only standard fare, but the dialogue between the two of them was at best clunky, and at times stilted. Its no good saying that the two of them talked for hours or were very easy in each others company, or in their companionable silences; it needs some passion, some fire, some chemistry. That was missing.
• The epistolary sections (1947-1981) written by Hasan didn’t come across as a convincing description of tragic loss, and the subject matter could just as easily been the thoughts of a third party narrator addressing the reader.
• The references to religious belief, in worship and in God. Sameer and Maryam both start to talk to each other about the importance of faith. Having introduced this dimension to their friendship, and for Sameer evaluation of where he was in his life, this needed much more examination.
Historical context
Just about every novel set in Uganda makes reference to Idi Amin. This is no exception.
Following Amin’s coup in Feb 1971, he introduces the “Common Man’s Charter”(147) which brings trade licensing rules that clobbers Asian businesses. Amin says he is just a caretaker, but this turns out to be far from the truth.
A Pepsi advert at Entebbe airport declares : “welcome to the Pearl of Africa”- the colonial legacy, and Churchill’s turn of phrase doesn’t fade away completely.
Author background & Reviews
The backstory to the writing of this book is a good one, and an interesting one. Zayyan is herself (like the protagonist Saeed), Cambridge University educated, and she lives in London (Shoreditch rather than Clerkenwell), and continues to work long hours in a central London law firm. Published by Merky Books, an imprint of Random House Penguin, the selections are curated by Stormzy. Zayyan won the inaugural Merky Books New Writer’s Prize in 2019.
Recommend
For those readers with an interest in sub Saharan Africa literature this is enlightening for the Asian perspective on Uganda. A (different) readership might well enjoy the more conventional love story emerging despite the resistance of family members.
June 22, 2022
I received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CW: Racism, fat phobia
2.75 stars
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.
CW: Racism, fat phobia
2.75 stars
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.
February 8, 2021
We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan
The debut novel from Hafsa Zayyan is a narrative of two halves. It follows Sameer, a young high-flying lawyer living in present day London who is struggling to decide about his future. He comes to realise he feels adrift and unachored from his family and his history. His narrative is interspersed with letters written by his grandfather Hasan in 1960s Uganda. Hasan's letters detail the conflict and struggles he faced as the country he called his home came to reject him under the upheaval of Idi Amin's rule.
The switch between the time periods serves to unravel and explore the complexities of generational divides, racial tensions and the long legacy of the destructive British colonial empire. Zayyan also explores themes of family, faith, friendship, culture, memory and identity. Her focus on identity and how Sameer struggles to find himself and life direction is central to the whole narrative.
I think the book tells a really important period of history with nuance and thought, although it largely focuses on the voices of the Asian community. I think Maryam's character really offered an insight into the emotions and troubles of some of the black, Muslim Ugandan population. She was a very grounded woman in her faith, her beliefs and I really fell in love with her. The one aspect I would point out is that I felt other than Maryam the female characters were quite weak and fell into stereotypes a little more which was a little disappointing.
Overall though, this was a really brilliant debut. It starts of a little slowly, but once Sameer gets to Uganda the narrative is entirely absorbing and I was swept away into the narrative. For those who are fans of multi-generational historical fiction I think this one will be a firm winner! Thanks to Tandem and the publishers for the review copy.
TW: racial slurs, violence references, racism.
The debut novel from Hafsa Zayyan is a narrative of two halves. It follows Sameer, a young high-flying lawyer living in present day London who is struggling to decide about his future. He comes to realise he feels adrift and unachored from his family and his history. His narrative is interspersed with letters written by his grandfather Hasan in 1960s Uganda. Hasan's letters detail the conflict and struggles he faced as the country he called his home came to reject him under the upheaval of Idi Amin's rule.
The switch between the time periods serves to unravel and explore the complexities of generational divides, racial tensions and the long legacy of the destructive British colonial empire. Zayyan also explores themes of family, faith, friendship, culture, memory and identity. Her focus on identity and how Sameer struggles to find himself and life direction is central to the whole narrative.
I think the book tells a really important period of history with nuance and thought, although it largely focuses on the voices of the Asian community. I think Maryam's character really offered an insight into the emotions and troubles of some of the black, Muslim Ugandan population. She was a very grounded woman in her faith, her beliefs and I really fell in love with her. The one aspect I would point out is that I felt other than Maryam the female characters were quite weak and fell into stereotypes a little more which was a little disappointing.
Overall though, this was a really brilliant debut. It starts of a little slowly, but once Sameer gets to Uganda the narrative is entirely absorbing and I was swept away into the narrative. For those who are fans of multi-generational historical fiction I think this one will be a firm winner! Thanks to Tandem and the publishers for the review copy.
TW: racial slurs, violence references, racism.
February 17, 2021
DONT watch Namaste Wahala
READ We Are All Birds of Uganda
I had to message @lipglossmaffia to get us the author Hafsa Zayyan on her podcast because I have questions that need answers.
I pulled an all nighter over this book and I'm not even sorry that I have a headache this morning.
It's a story divided in 2 parts, flashbacks to 1945 and up to the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin in 1972 via a series of love letters from Hasan Sa'ed to his dead wife. Then the story of Sameer his grandson and his own struggles with racism, family duty and responsibility.
Then Sameer decides to go to Uganda, the country his uncle reminisces so much about and meets Maryam, the granddaughter of Hasan's native Ugandan employee and a romance ensues!
Yes the British Indian comes to Uganda and meets the black woman he falls in love with!!! I love it!
I learned a lot about Asian Ugandans and their history, British Indians and their grit and resilience. I learned about enduring love, responsibility and most of all when to stick to your principles and when to let them go.
READ We Are All Birds of Uganda
I had to message @lipglossmaffia to get us the author Hafsa Zayyan on her podcast because I have questions that need answers.
I pulled an all nighter over this book and I'm not even sorry that I have a headache this morning.
It's a story divided in 2 parts, flashbacks to 1945 and up to the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin in 1972 via a series of love letters from Hasan Sa'ed to his dead wife. Then the story of Sameer his grandson and his own struggles with racism, family duty and responsibility.
Then Sameer decides to go to Uganda, the country his uncle reminisces so much about and meets Maryam, the granddaughter of Hasan's native Ugandan employee and a romance ensues!
Yes the British Indian comes to Uganda and meets the black woman he falls in love with!!! I love it!
I learned a lot about Asian Ugandans and their history, British Indians and their grit and resilience. I learned about enduring love, responsibility and most of all when to stick to your principles and when to let them go.
January 17, 2021
This is the first book I have ever read looking at Ugandan history, politics and culture. All of the historical information was interesting, well delivered within the context of the plot and created a desire for me to learn more about this fascinating country.
Outside of the historical side of this book, the way that Zayyan delt with race and culture was unique and skilful. The creation of morally grey characters was fascinating to read, and I felt myself cringe at attitudes depicted many times.
This book was a little slow to start, though in doing so set the background of the characters well, but by halfway through I was hooked!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone, and look forward to reading more from this author.
Outside of the historical side of this book, the way that Zayyan delt with race and culture was unique and skilful. The creation of morally grey characters was fascinating to read, and I felt myself cringe at attitudes depicted many times.
This book was a little slow to start, though in doing so set the background of the characters well, but by halfway through I was hooked!
I would highly recommend this book to everyone, and look forward to reading more from this author.
January 12, 2021
This was an absolutely beautiful read, the descriptions of Uganda are just amazing, so captivating, set in Uganda and England this story is set both in the past (Hasan’s story) and the present (Sameer’s story). The story looks at a point in both their lives where great change is affecting their story, it focuses on racism, showing parallels for in Britain of the present and the Asian-African tensions in Uganda for Hasan. A beautifully written and moving read, We are all birds of Uganda is a story that will stay with me forever, I am so glad I read this and encourage you to read it too.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
January 16, 2021
“We Are All Birds of Uganda” by Hafsa Zayyan is a wonderful novel, rich in historical and cultural detail and human emotion.
Divided into two parts, the novel tells the story of the Saeed family. The first chapter introduces the reader to Sameer, a young lawyer with great prospects. He works very hard and has been offered a job with his firm in Singapore; a career break that many long for. Sameer’s family live in Leicester, where his father runs the family business. Mr. Saeed senior has great hopes that Sameer will eventually return to the city of his birth to enter this business. One can imagine the reaction to the Singapore news, when Sameer eventually tells his family.
The second chapter of the novel is in the form of a letter, written in 1945, by Hasan Saeed to his first wife. Hasan is Sameer’s grandfather and his letters provide the reader with an insight into the lives of the Asians who lived in Uganda at that time. We read of success and friendship, but also of how persecution, and the policies of Idi Amin led to the expulsion of many Asians in the 1970s.
The novel continues with chapters charting Sameer’s struggles and decisions in the present day, interspersed with letters from Hasan to his first wife. I loved how the plot took on a further dimension when Sameer decided to visit Uganda.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this amazing debut novel and wish to thank LoveReading for the opportunity to read and review “We Are All Birds of Uganda."
Divided into two parts, the novel tells the story of the Saeed family. The first chapter introduces the reader to Sameer, a young lawyer with great prospects. He works very hard and has been offered a job with his firm in Singapore; a career break that many long for. Sameer’s family live in Leicester, where his father runs the family business. Mr. Saeed senior has great hopes that Sameer will eventually return to the city of his birth to enter this business. One can imagine the reaction to the Singapore news, when Sameer eventually tells his family.
The second chapter of the novel is in the form of a letter, written in 1945, by Hasan Saeed to his first wife. Hasan is Sameer’s grandfather and his letters provide the reader with an insight into the lives of the Asians who lived in Uganda at that time. We read of success and friendship, but also of how persecution, and the policies of Idi Amin led to the expulsion of many Asians in the 1970s.
The novel continues with chapters charting Sameer’s struggles and decisions in the present day, interspersed with letters from Hasan to his first wife. I loved how the plot took on a further dimension when Sameer decided to visit Uganda.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this amazing debut novel and wish to thank LoveReading for the opportunity to read and review “We Are All Birds of Uganda."
May 17, 2021
Another new chapter of history that i wasn't aware of.
July 14, 2021
[4.5]
April 11, 2022
Stunningly beautiful story about what it means to have family and the lengths you will go to prioritise them above anything else, including your own happiness. The author’s depictions of Uganda were so real and intense that it made me wish I was there, experiencing every moment with the main character.
December 21, 2020
3.5 ⭐
We Are All Birds of Uganda follows two timelines of one family: modern London where young lawyer Sameer chooses his own path with a work opportunity in Singapore over his family's business, and 1970s Uganda, where Hasan is forced to leave as an Asian under Amin's regime.
This book covers a wide range of themes, from colonialism, racism and its different forms in Britain and Uganda, family duty, religion, belonging and love.
Although I appreciated the two different timelines and perspectives, I wasn't as interested in Hasan's letters as Sameer's perspective. It did reveal more about Ugandan history and Asian expulsion, which has prompted me to research that further, but we were just being told what was happening. At first I was wary of the lack of comment on his outdated and racist views, but it was definitely addressed later on, and I think the merging of Sameer and Hasan's lives was well done. It was also good to see another Ugandan perspective with Maryam to challenge these views.
You really get into Sameer's head and share his stress, anxieties and indecision. The most prominent theme was Sameer's reoccurring conflictions with identity and belonging, which I think was presented and concluded really well.
This is a great debut novel!
We Are All Birds of Uganda follows two timelines of one family: modern London where young lawyer Sameer chooses his own path with a work opportunity in Singapore over his family's business, and 1970s Uganda, where Hasan is forced to leave as an Asian under Amin's regime.
This book covers a wide range of themes, from colonialism, racism and its different forms in Britain and Uganda, family duty, religion, belonging and love.
Although I appreciated the two different timelines and perspectives, I wasn't as interested in Hasan's letters as Sameer's perspective. It did reveal more about Ugandan history and Asian expulsion, which has prompted me to research that further, but we were just being told what was happening. At first I was wary of the lack of comment on his outdated and racist views, but it was definitely addressed later on, and I think the merging of Sameer and Hasan's lives was well done. It was also good to see another Ugandan perspective with Maryam to challenge these views.
You really get into Sameer's head and share his stress, anxieties and indecision. The most prominent theme was Sameer's reoccurring conflictions with identity and belonging, which I think was presented and concluded really well.
This is a great debut novel!
December 9, 2021
An Unexpected Gem
This book is a beautiful and intricate journey through life, love, loss and disillusionment.
Gently nudging the reader to compare the political unrest experienced by a family of Asian Ugandans with the pressures and struggles faced by the same family line in modern times through a haunting dual narrative, the experiences of characters within We Are All Birds of Uganda both horrifies and intrigues.
The alternating pace of each narrative drives the plot forward, with the faster pace of the modern day juxtaposed with the slower, more intricate and reflective sections.
Despite the invitation to reflect on serious issues including racial prejudice and political unrest, the characters you encounter in the novel will entice you in a different way - they are relatable and likeable, despite their very realistic flaws.
This novel will prompt you to question how much ever really changes, what belonging means and what is truly important in life.
An impeccable debut.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
This book is a beautiful and intricate journey through life, love, loss and disillusionment.
Gently nudging the reader to compare the political unrest experienced by a family of Asian Ugandans with the pressures and struggles faced by the same family line in modern times through a haunting dual narrative, the experiences of characters within We Are All Birds of Uganda both horrifies and intrigues.
The alternating pace of each narrative drives the plot forward, with the faster pace of the modern day juxtaposed with the slower, more intricate and reflective sections.
Despite the invitation to reflect on serious issues including racial prejudice and political unrest, the characters you encounter in the novel will entice you in a different way - they are relatable and likeable, despite their very realistic flaws.
This novel will prompt you to question how much ever really changes, what belonging means and what is truly important in life.
An impeccable debut.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.
July 21, 2021
A brilliantly narrated audiobook. Told by two different narrators, in two different timelines. The African Indian's experience in Uganda at the time of the upheaval before and during the Idi Amin's reign of terror juxtaposed with a modern day narrative of the first narrator's successful Grandson in London.
There's quite a few interesting turns in the story and the different impacts of racism in both their lives. Impacts that might be a surprise to those that don't know about the long history of Indians in Africa. It doesn't seem like it's a perspective that's been written about very much in previous literature.
I wonder if this will make it to the 2021 Booker longlist, I suspect it might be a possibility.
There's quite a few interesting turns in the story and the different impacts of racism in both their lives. Impacts that might be a surprise to those that don't know about the long history of Indians in Africa. It doesn't seem like it's a perspective that's been written about very much in previous literature.
I wonder if this will make it to the 2021 Booker longlist, I suspect it might be a possibility.
October 19, 2024
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARe-copy in exchange for this honest review.
This is a thought-provoking story following an Asian-Ugandan family now living in Britain following their exile in the 1970s. I warmed to the characters and engaged with both the present day and historical timelines of the book. The family dynamics were well portrayed and the relationships very vivid in the struggles they faced. The heartbreaking events that tore the family in Uganda apart were moving and I appreciated the way the generational experiences played out within the family.
This is a thought-provoking story following an Asian-Ugandan family now living in Britain following their exile in the 1970s. I warmed to the characters and engaged with both the present day and historical timelines of the book. The family dynamics were well portrayed and the relationships very vivid in the struggles they faced. The heartbreaking events that tore the family in Uganda apart were moving and I appreciated the way the generational experiences played out within the family.
February 7, 2022
DNF.
The pacing of this books is crap.
4 stars for concept, 0 stars for execution.
The writing favours a high school composition.
I tried for weeks to get into it, and not every book has to be a page-turner, but over 100 pages in and it still has not picked up.
I gave it an honest attempt. But ain’t nobody got time.
The pacing of this books is crap.
4 stars for concept, 0 stars for execution.
The writing favours a high school composition.
I tried for weeks to get into it, and not every book has to be a page-turner, but over 100 pages in and it still has not picked up.
I gave it an honest attempt. But ain’t nobody got time.
February 6, 2023
An assured debut from an author of mixed Ugandan/South Asian heritage, WE ARE ALL BIRDS OF UGANDA is the story of Sameer Saeed, the child of Indo-African parents who unexpectedly discovers himself and his family's cultural history when he travels to Uganda. On his trip, Sameer finds himself attracted to Maryam, the Ugandan great-granddaughter of his own grandfather's servant and best friend. He is also given letters that his grandfather, Hasan wrote to his dead wife in the years prior to, during and following the expulsion of Asians from Uganda.
Although the relationships between characters were sometimes confusing and hard to grasp, this is a very gripping and readable story. The characters were all very believable and human, and there is a nuanced discussion of mutual racism between Asian and African Ugandans. Also, this story features a well-done dual timeline as we alternate between Sameer's journey in the present day and Hasan's letters beginning in the late 1950s that take us through the rise and fall of Idi Amin, ending in the early 1980s. With dual timeline books, I rarely find that both timelines are equally enjoyable or that both are necessary, but here they complement each other, both contributing to the effect of the story as a whole. Author Hafsa Zayyan based this story on the experience of both sides of her family, and the love and care she put into crafting this story shines. A lovely and captivating story!
Although the relationships between characters were sometimes confusing and hard to grasp, this is a very gripping and readable story. The characters were all very believable and human, and there is a nuanced discussion of mutual racism between Asian and African Ugandans. Also, this story features a well-done dual timeline as we alternate between Sameer's journey in the present day and Hasan's letters beginning in the late 1950s that take us through the rise and fall of Idi Amin, ending in the early 1980s. With dual timeline books, I rarely find that both timelines are equally enjoyable or that both are necessary, but here they complement each other, both contributing to the effect of the story as a whole. Author Hafsa Zayyan based this story on the experience of both sides of her family, and the love and care she put into crafting this story shines. A lovely and captivating story!
October 14, 2024
Sameer is a dull and passive high-flying lawyer who gets bullied at work, guilted by his parents and generally avoids confrontation. He’s supposed to be preparing to move to Singapore for a career opportunity but he randomly goes on a six week holiday of self-discovery to Uganda. There he has a very chaste and unconvincing love-meet and develops an even more unlikely business plan involving freshly squeezed juice and all his previous plans are upended.
Interspersed with this story is an epistolary from Sameer’s grandfather that charts the family’s origins in Uganda… the British are to blame because of their colonialism, Indians are excellent business people and natural entrepreneurs, the real black African Uganda people suffered then Idi Amin came along and kicked out the Indians and Britain was forced/ guilted in to taking them.
I found the story flitted all over the place, trying to cover a grab bag of issues from subtle to blatant and violent racism and cultural and religious matters with no satisfying resolution on anything.
Interspersed with this story is an epistolary from Sameer’s grandfather that charts the family’s origins in Uganda… the British are to blame because of their colonialism, Indians are excellent business people and natural entrepreneurs, the real black African Uganda people suffered then Idi Amin came along and kicked out the Indians and Britain was forced/ guilted in to taking them.
I found the story flitted all over the place, trying to cover a grab bag of issues from subtle to blatant and violent racism and cultural and religious matters with no satisfying resolution on anything.
September 10, 2022
A really good character driven books, I loved the setting, the atmosphere and the mixture of likeable and not so likeable characters
The ending was a bit strange and left it up to the reader to decide what happened
The ending was a bit strange and left it up to the reader to decide what happened
July 1, 2022
4.5 🌟
I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Ugandan culture and history while reading it. I really enjoyed reading about Sameer, the main character and seeing his journey, trying to balance the expectations of his family with his own wishes and ambitions.
I enjoyed this book and learned a lot about Ugandan culture and history while reading it. I really enjoyed reading about Sameer, the main character and seeing his journey, trying to balance the expectations of his family with his own wishes and ambitions.
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