Scan barcode
A review by fazila
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah
4.0
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL : YOUTUBE
FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM
FR REVIEW :
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah is the debut Asian Ugandan literature set in 1970's Uganda that will captivate you with its human story of love, loss, and desperation of families who were thrown out of their homes and country. This was such a familiar story, yet so different and important to be read in these times of division, hatred, and otherisms. It is very relevant to the times we live as conversations of race, inequality, oppression, power, and devastation are at the forefront of our lives.
Neema Shah does a fantastic job of bringing us realistic life-like characters whose journeys we follow through the good, the hard, and the ugly to finally get to a place where you can stand proud and tall and not take the abuse anymore. The story is focused on Jaya and her family. Idi Amin and his decree of expulsion of the Asian Ugandan minorities to leave the country within the 90-day mark. They were ordered to flee the country leaving all of their hard work, money, life, and legacy behind. With only Britain to move to and neither of the countries willing to welcome them several families were separated and stranded in different countries. The dictatorship rocked the country and brought shock waves into the lives of ordinary Ugandan and Asian people alike. I read last month, We Are All Birds Of Uganda which tells us a similar story of people having to flee their homes and being stuck in countries where they didn't belong and having to start their life from scratch all the while going through the trauma they had to endure during the oppressive regime of Idi Amin.
Overall, this is a story that sheds light on the expulsion of Asian Ugandans during Idi Amin's oppressive regime. This is a lesser-known history and I am glad I came to know about this in Hafsa Zayyan's equally moving story before reading this. If you love cultural fiction and historical fiction, that tells us family stories of struggle, resilience, and survival, definitely pick this one up. I really enjoyed this story and I gave it 4 stars. It was an emotional and impactful read. I have to say this was a strong debut and I am looking forward to reading more of Neema Shah's works in the future.
FOLLOW ME ON : TWITTER INSTAGRAM
FR REVIEW :
Kololo Hill by Neema Shah is the debut Asian Ugandan literature set in 1970's Uganda that will captivate you with its human story of love, loss, and desperation of families who were thrown out of their homes and country. This was such a familiar story, yet so different and important to be read in these times of division, hatred, and otherisms. It is very relevant to the times we live as conversations of race, inequality, oppression, power, and devastation are at the forefront of our lives.
Neema Shah does a fantastic job of bringing us realistic life-like characters whose journeys we follow through the good, the hard, and the ugly to finally get to a place where you can stand proud and tall and not take the abuse anymore. The story is focused on Jaya and her family. Idi Amin and his decree of expulsion of the Asian Ugandan minorities to leave the country within the 90-day mark. They were ordered to flee the country leaving all of their hard work, money, life, and legacy behind. With only Britain to move to and neither of the countries willing to welcome them several families were separated and stranded in different countries. The dictatorship rocked the country and brought shock waves into the lives of ordinary Ugandan and Asian people alike. I read last month, We Are All Birds Of Uganda which tells us a similar story of people having to flee their homes and being stuck in countries where they didn't belong and having to start their life from scratch all the while going through the trauma they had to endure during the oppressive regime of Idi Amin.
Overall, this is a story that sheds light on the expulsion of Asian Ugandans during Idi Amin's oppressive regime. This is a lesser-known history and I am glad I came to know about this in Hafsa Zayyan's equally moving story before reading this. If you love cultural fiction and historical fiction, that tells us family stories of struggle, resilience, and survival, definitely pick this one up. I really enjoyed this story and I gave it 4 stars. It was an emotional and impactful read. I have to say this was a strong debut and I am looking forward to reading more of Neema Shah's works in the future.