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We Are All Birds of Uganda
We Are All Birds of Uganda | Hafsa Zayyan
12 posts | 8 read | 13 to read
____________________________________ 'You can't stop birds from flying, can you, Sameer? 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. ____________________________________ Moving between two continents and several generations over a troubled century, We Are All Birds of Uganda is a multi-layered, moving and immensely resonant novel of love, loss, and what it means to find home. It is the first work of fiction by Hafsa Zayyan, co-winner of the inaugural #Merky Books New Writers' Prize, and one of the most exciting young novelists of today.
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review
Lunakay
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Pickpick

This was a straightforward 5 🌟 read!

I have never read anything so simply honest about the endlessly complex - and frankly - uncomfortable circumstances that make up any society and how religion, race, intergenerational trauma and national identity form our views and attitudes on every level.

I also learned about an aspect of history I wasn't even remotely aware of, an absolute win!

Perfect for #foodandlit 🌯🤤

@Catsandbooks @Texreader

BarbaraBB Sounds so good. Stacked! 1y
Lunakay @BarbaraBB I hope you'll enjoy it, let me know what you think🤗 1y
BarbaraBB I will! 1y
Texreader What an awesome review!! 1y
Catsandbooks So great! 🇺🇬 1y
23 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Lunakay
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Had an instant cover crush on this one and I am super excited to start on it for #foodandlit
#Uganda 🇺🇬🪶

@Catsandbooks @Texreader

Catsandbooks So pretty! Hope it's a good read! 🇺🇬 1y
Lunakay @Catsandbooks Thank you, also for organising this challenge, it's a lot of fun!😊 1y
19 likes2 comments
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KristiAhlers
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Pickpick

For #readingafrica2022 #uganda. Told through love letters written in 1964 Uganda Sameer who lives in present day London comes to terms with his grandfather‘s story which includes the loss of his wife, the struggle of keeping the family business alive and dealing with the politics and racism of a new regime. He travels to Uganda and realizes what he wants may be not what he thought. #bookspin @Texreader @Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks

KristiAhlers I‘m happy to mail this to anyone who‘d like to read it for this challenge or just because. 2y
ReadingisMyPassion Sounds really interesting. 2y
Librarybelle Sounds really good! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohooo!! 2y
50 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Curvybookgirl
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The story was great as were the characters. However maybe I missed something but the ending was a huge let down. Such a shame

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shawnmooney
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https://youtu.be/3T2YEDsnqeI

Chat #1: with Sandra from Greater Sydney

We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan

Chat #2: with Lindy from Edmonton

Molly Falls to Earth by Maria Mutch

Chat #3: with Margot from New Brunswick

A Big Storm Knocked It Over by Laurie Colwin

Chat #4: with Abhilash from Kerala, India

The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald
Michael Hulse (Translator)

LeahBergen I need to catch up on your vids! 😍 3y
23 likes1 comment
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emmaturi
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Pickpick

This is a brilliant debut novel, set in London and Uganda. The story is about Sameer in present time working in London and his grandfather in 1970s Kampala. Told in letters written by the grandfather we learn about his grief for his first wife and the struggle with his business and the political situation to Asian Ugandans. A few incidents happen to Sameer which lead him to rethink his life. It is a very moving story with romance and history.

LoverOfLearning Love the cover! 3y
emmaturi Yes it is quite stunning! @LoverOfLearning 3y
27 likes2 comments
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rockpools
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Mehso-so

Modern day: Sameer is flying high as a young corporate lawyer. His family want him to return to Leicester, to join the family business, but he has other ambitions.
1960s - 1980s. A man writes to his first wife, telling her of life since she died, Amin‘s regime in Uganda and the family‘s exile to Britain.

There‘s a huge amount going on in here! Race, class, work, family, privilege, the meaning of home, who your friends are...

rockpools Zayyan has a lot of interesting things to say, and perspectives I don‘t think I‘ve heard before.

However, whilst I did enjoy reading this, it was one I was never that keen to pick up, and I feel I‘ll remember more of the background history than the actual story or characters. I‘ve come away with a lot more knowledge of Ugandan/British history than I started with. Although I didn‘t love this, Zayyan may be an author to watch.
3y
rockpools Oh, and this was January‘s #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
BookwormM Agree totally 👍 3y
52 likes5 comments
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BookwormM
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Mehso-so

#Netgalley #ARC #BirdofUganda
3⭐️

Told in a dual narrative 1960s and present day this book educated me about the Asian expulsion from Uganda.

The 1960s narrative told through letters to a dead wife didn‘t work for me it felt stilted and contrived. Especially when detailing events they both experienced.

When the 2 narratives join this format makes more sense but it just didn‘t work for.

Fruit crumble drowned in custard for pudding 🤣🤣

rockpools Yay! Crumble! Also, I agree with your review. We were ‘told‘ an awful lot. I‘m glad I read it, but think I‘ll remember more of the background history than the actual story. 3y
44 likes1 comment
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rockpools
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Attempting to squeeze in another ARC before Jan - the story of a British Indian-Ugandan family. Sameer is flying high, resisting his parent‘s wishes to move home & run the family business. In another timeline, a man (S‘s grandfather, perhaps?) writes to his first love, on the night of his marriage to a new wife.

Great #NetGalley reviews for this, & potentially a good story. But I‘m being Told an awful lot, which feels a tad contrived. We‘ll see.

60 likes2 stack adds