Welcome to Litsy!

Told in various POVs over 4 generations of a Gujarati family, this compelling saga begins with 13-year-old Pirbhai in 1898—who‘s kidnapped from his home in India to work on British railway construction in Africa—& ends with his great-grandson Hari protesting police brutality on the streets of Toronto in 1992. In between, much drama! Including expulsion from the new Pakistan in 1947 & from Uganda in 1972, plus many difficult choices along the way.

The heat was a pulsing, living thing, the sky god-skin blue.

An absorbing family story that takes us to several continents and different tumultuous times. All the characters felt like real people.

Things never get any better for displaced refugees do they? This is a very sad and melancholy read, all the injustices that history put on the generations of the family in this. Leaves me with a heavy heart and will the world ever be at peace thoughts.
An excellent read though.

This story captured me from the very beginning, moved me to tears several times and left me with lots to think about. The characters are vivid and following them through their whole life spans was quite the experience.

There were rumours it might be nominated for the Booker, which it wasn't. I read 2 of the actual nominations and none of them come close 🤔

Highly recommended, 4,5 🌟

Wonderful novel exploring a family's history across three continents. Over 300 pages but I would have happily kept reading (something I don't often say!)

Wondering if it will get a #Booker23 nod.🤞

Wherever Mayuri turned she saw someone she knew, every inhale heavy with perfume and incense. The circles of revellers danced around the clay lantern burning at the centre of the room, a flurry of pinks and greens and sequins, dark hair and brown limbs. Though everyone danced on Navratri, it was the women who had always drawn Mayuri's eye, alive and radiant as on no other night...

Image via newindianexpress.com

This is a riveting family saga that deals with survival, resistance, racism & parenting. Set mostly in Uganda and Toronto, it represents what I love best about historical fiction, being both entertaining and educational, especially about life under Idi Amin. While I was slightly disappointed in the vagueness of ending, I still really enjoyed the book and the vast cast of wonderful characters and look forward to more by this debut author. 4/5!

Here's my nominations for #CampLitsy23 🎉🏕 One is tagged, I'll tag the rest in the comments.

Excited to see everyone's ideas! Thanks for hosting @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

So excited to read this book a sweeping debut novel that takes us through four generations of a family in the twentieth century on the eternal quest for home.Thanks @grandcentralpub for this book by Janika Oza