No New Land

by M.G. Vassanji

Nurdin Lalani and his family, Asian immigrants from Africa, have come to the Toronto suburb of Don Mills only to find that the old world and its values pursue them. A genial orderly at a downtown hospital, he has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl. Although he is innocent, traditional propriety prompts him to question the purity of his own thoughts. Ultimately, his friendship with the enlightened Sushila offers him an alluring freedom from a past that haunts him, a marriage that has become routine, and from the trials of coping with teenage children. Introducing us to a cast of vividly drawn characters within this immigrant community, Vassanji is a keen observer of lives caught between one world and another.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Literature, Canadian Literature, School

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Moyez G. Vassanji was born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania. Before coming to Canada in 1978, he attended MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in theoretical nuclear physics. From 1978-1980 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Atomic Energy of Canada, and from 1980 to 1989 he was a research associate at the University of Toronto. During this period he developed a keen interest in medieval Indian literature and history, co-founded and edited a literary magazine (The Toronto South Asian Review, later renamed The Toronto Review of Contemporary Writing Abroad), and began writing stories and a novel. In 1989, with the publication of his first novel, The Gunny Sack, he was invited to spend a season at the International Writing Program of the University of Iowa. That year ended his active career in nuclear physics. His contributions there he considers modest, in algebraic models and high spin states. The fact that he was never tenured he considers a blessing for it freed him to pursue his literary career.

Vassanji is the author of six novels and two collections of short stories. His work has appeared in various countries and several languages. His most recent novel, The Assassin's Song, was short-listed for both the Giller Prize and the Governor-General's Prize for best novel in Canada. It has appeared in the US (Knopf) and India (Penguin) and is scheduled to appear in the UK (Canongate).

His wife, Nurjehan, was born in Tanzania. They have two sons, Anil, and Kabir. He lives in Toronto, and visits Africa and India often.

Awards: Giller Prize, twice; Harbourfront Festival Prize; Commonwealth First Book Prize (Africa); Bressani Prize. Order of Canada.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

M G Vassanji was born in Kenya and has lived in Tanzania and now resides in Canada. This is a diaspora novel. It starts following a family in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania and follows the family to Canada. The Lalani family are Asian in origin. Vassanji looks at how the characters lives are affected by migration. The title indicates the problem.
Despite being in a new land the characters try to live the same lives and with the same problems, not to mention racism, they discover the racism they encountered in Dar is still an issue in Canada. They encounter the usual problems of cultural alienation, problems of adjustment.
Vassanji employs stream of consciousness some of the time, especially with Nurdin Lalani, the head of the family, who struggles to find work commensurate with his status. The only member of the extended community who does make it is Jamal who is a lawyer! Vassanji explores the tension between assimilation and maintaining cultural identity.
There continue to be lessons that we need to be aware of today. The racism of the 80s and early 90s hasn’t gone away and is sharply in focus today, certainly in Britain.
This is brief, two hundred or so pages and tells a story that goes beyond just Canada. It could have been written about any western nation I suspect. The issues and debates are very similar and the solutions equally elusive.

[Elliot A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another book I had to read for one of my courses.

As an immigration narrative it came very close to home; the issues discussed, the neighbourhood described, the duality of identity experienced by the main character all seem very familiar to me.

The plot is of course centred on the struggles of an immigrant family, trying to make it in Canada.

It is straight forward, yet provides plenty of insight into the human psychology of an individual, trying to find his place and identity in a new country and culture.

The characters are richly described. The author has the talent to introduce and talk about many different characters without getting lost in unnecessary wordiness and still represent the character as full and complete.

Personally, I really appreciated the insight the author provided on the main characters; his thoughts, struggles and feelings.

The writing was straight forward without any overuse of metaphors in order to drive some point home, the author let the characters speak for themselves.

It was refreshing to read an immigrant story that describes it what it really feels like for an immigrant, trying to establish themselves in Canada.

I actually used this book as inspiration for my own fictional story and final project for another course.

I loved the structure and simplicity with which the author addresses many of the different issues immigrants face when trying to assimilating to a new culture. A story that should be read by many, it is enlightening and true.

ElliotScribbles

[Amarah H-S]

there’s just like ,, something about this book. it was a fast read and it didn’t really have much of a *plot* but the narrative style was just excellent for drawing out empathy for the characters. the narrative voice felt detached, but it got me really emotionally invested in a roundabout way.

i think this is also one of those books that is able to capture so many universal feelings by zeroing in on a very specific experience. and like it does a really good job with the specifics—theres an incredible richness to the settings and communities that this story takes place in. no details are left out.

i will definitely be reading more vassanji !

[Dr. Vipin Behari Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nurdin Lalani was salesman in Bata company at Dar, and he loved his nomadic life. At least it kept him away from his strict disciplinarian father. Tanzania gets liberated and people who were neither Black nor White felt insecure and shifted to other countries. Only Canada permitted without much fuss and the immigrants mostly Shamsi community settled in Toronto at Don Mill-Rosecliffe complex. Kierkegaard's Thoughts regarding free will is good. What we think as choice to live is actually let you live.Racial hatred is one of the major problems World is facing today. Vassanji does not offer solution.He states the fact and his agony, frustration, loss of self-esteem and insecurities are apparent. Canada has become a quilt with patches. Superficially it is beautiful, deeply it could be horrible.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved parts of this short book and yet overall, it felt somewhat undeveloped. The story of a family of Indian descent who emigrate to Canada and find that they cannot escape the effects of their memories and culture of origin n their lives in a "new land." Feeling lost in a country where he cannot find dignified work and where he feels growing confusion, Nurdin's life threatens to fall apart when he is falsely accused of assaulting a young woman at work. While his family and acquaintances struggle with the legal issues, Nurdin faces his own secret guilt and confusion. As always, Vassanji's descriptions and characterizations are solid. I felt like the story line was a little rushed though.

[Denise Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vassanji's "No New Land" tells the tale of an East-African family of South Asian heritage and their experience migrating to Toronto, Ontario (Canada). This novel was a mandatory read for my Contemporary Canada class, but it was such an easy read and so relatable that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

"No New Land" can be used to illustrate the similarities between other tales of marginalization as a racial minority. For me, I loved it because my own parents immigrated to Toronto around the same time as the main character and I, as well as they, remember many of the landmarks and areas referenced.

[Sajal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good.

The ethnic identity displacement is something that I can relate to on multiple levels. And I'm so impressed with how M.G. Vassanji handles the subject matter.

Not only that, I actually got to learn so much through this concise book - about things that no one talks about! I never knew that South Africa and South Asia were tied together through historic trade lines and colonialism. Or that, in 1970's, General Idi Amin gave them a short deadline to leave, and if they didn't, he threatened to put them in concentration camps.

Oh man, one would think that people would take history seriously and learn a few things like empathy and basic human decency. *Sigh*

All in all, I understand the hype. I took one star away because I absolutely hated Nurdin & Romesh.

Sorry not sorry.

[Jane Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Vividedly depicted characters, and intriguing description of the clash of ciltures on a family. Entertaining, intriguing and informative - highly recommend.

[Bonnie Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and at times heartbreaking stories of new immigrants of Indian descent who came to Canada (Toronto) from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in the early 1990s.

[Bhagirath Suthar]

Good

[Debbie Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting from the perspective of immigrants in Canada. I enjoyed the book and it was an entertaining read

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Lemoncakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read on East African immigrant experience in Toronto. Some character names are so similar it got confusing.

[Buried In Print]

Following Amazon's purchase of GoodReads, I no longer post my reviews here.

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[Darren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although this novel does provide moments of entertainment, the story as a whole comes nowhere close to being memorable or entertaining. The wrting style does illustrate Vassanji's excellent academic abilities, but unfortunately, it is not enough. The racism that is depicted is a noble ambition to attempt to shed light on a general social concern that exists within society; however, outside of this aspect of the novel, it is rather dry and dull. If you have have some extra money, I suggest that you buy it, read the back of it, and then set it to flaaames. Just kidding. Or am I????

[Vivian Zenari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book doesn't seem to do much that is unusual thematically or stylistically, yet the book is not simple or shallow. Its strength may be its ability to avoid cliches or romanticization of plot and character sometimes found in representations of immigration or sexuality in contemporary fiction. It is sincere realism verging on slice of life fiction. I appreciated its light touch and ironic eye. It avoids trumpeting for itself.

[Mary Curran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very compelling. Written in the 90s, guilty of a few stereotypes of migrants, but nevertheless convincing. Loved the allusions toHonest Ed's which is not only frequented by bargain-seeking immigrants on Saturday but by bargain-seeking students - like I was from 1975-79. A good book, not without humour.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as his others. First of all this one its set in Don Mills, not East Africa and the characters were not very well developed (likely becuase it is so short)...overall a disapointment.

[Rose Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

South-Asians lviing in East Africa and then emigrating to Canada

[Ali]

really good!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The final book that I read for looking at Canadian history through a literary lens.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

In love with this book. It was a short but enjoyable read. It was convincing and showed how immigrants settled into a new life in a new country. Beautiful. Absolutely one of my all time favourites.

[Daphne Gray-Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked much of his writing style (although some parts felt “obligatory”) but I didn’t care for his plot. Not nearly enough heft for even this moderately thin novel.