There's some interesting and relevant material here but as a novel this feels over-ambitious and a bit clumsy, the result, perhaps, of trying to do too much in one book. The BBC Radio 2 Book Club announced on 24 January that its new home is on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. In the Ugandan sections the author makes a distinction between Asian arrivals from India, and the more recent (Ugandan national debt driven) arrivals from China. Sameer is disparagingly called both muzungu (white person) and Muhindi (Indian).

We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan | Goodreads We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan | Goodreads

The switch between the time periods serves to unravel and explore the complexities of generational divides, racial tensions and the long legacy of the destructive British colonial empire. Zayyan also explores themes of family, faith, friendship, culture, memory and identity. Her focus on identity and how Sameer struggles to find himself and life direction is central to the whole narrative.Fast forward to present day London, we meet a descendant of Hasan, Sameer, who is young lawyer at the top of his game. He is comfortable, financially stable, lives in the perfect apartment and just landed the opportunity of a lifetime but everything gets shaken to the core when he receives news about his childhood friend. That leads him to quest what life is about, where he should be, what his focus is. He takes a trip Uganda and everything falls into place… or falls apart depending on how you look at it. The other interspersed strand is Sameer's family history as his grandfather writes letters to his dead wife telling her about his life under Idi Amin's regime. It's a rather clunky device that results in lots of 'telling', with an exposition-as-history feel. The members of this family are found throughout Africa, Asia, and Polynesia. Their taxonomy is in flux, and some authorities place genus Erythrocerus in another family. [2] I had to message @lipglossmaffia to get us the author Hafsa Zayyan on her podcast because I have questions that need answers. Sameer is the British son of Ugandan Asians, expelled from their home country by Idi Amin. He is on his way to becoming a successful lawyer in London, but is under pressure from his family to return to Leicester to join the family business.

We Are All Birds of Uganda - Penguin Books UK

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8cm (3.1in) to 1m (3.3ft) in length. Old World parrots are found from Africa east across south and southeast Asia and Oceania to Australia and New Zealand.

Selection panel review

Gill, F. and D. Donsker (Eds). 2019. IOC World Bird List (v 9.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.9.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ retrieved June 22, 2019.

We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan | Waterstones

The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colourful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. Recommended Reads about Race, Racism, and Demarginalizing History - Necessary Non-fiction You Should Read for Life-changing Insights and Impact The monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized insectivorous passerines which hunt by flycatching. 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. The mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers and very long thin tails. They are arboreal and scurry through the leaves like rodents in search of berries, fruit, and buds. They are acrobatic and can feed upside down. All species have strong claws and reversible outer toes. They also have crests and stubby bills.I connected with this book immediately ... Racism, generational culture, love and family ties are all key components of this novel by a really accomplished debut author who I feel sure we are going to hear a lot more from.' Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. In size they range from 8cm (3.1in) to 1m (3.3ft) in length. Most of the more than 150 species in this family are found in the New World. Then Sameer decides to go to Uganda, the country his uncle reminisces so much about and meets Maryam, the granddaughter of Hasan's native Ugandan employee and a romance ensues! The first part of We Are All Birds of Uganda is a somewhat familiar tale of conflict between desire for independence and the burden of responsibility to one’s family. It’s when we get deeper into the Ugandan experience — via Hasan’s letters and then Sameer’s visit — that the book takes off. Those letters are at times a bit of an info dump but they also contain the emotional heart of the novel. Here is a man who is grieving for his dead wife and for his country, feeling displaced and dejected and yearning for nothing but to be reunited with them both.