A review by dlberglund
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

3.0

I was torn on this book. There were parts I loved, sections that were so painful and evoked such a strong response from me. The narrative begins in Zimbabwe with Darling struggling to have a childhood with her friends (including a pregnant 12 year old, I think) but eventually moved to the U.S. when Darling becomes part of the modern diaspora. Either part of the novel could have been its own story. I struggled a bit with the transition, and with feeling the connection between the young Darling and the Darling in America. Ultimately, I felt that there was too much crammed into one book for it to be a single cohesive narrative.