Kololo Hill
Picador
February 18, 2021
Hardcover
304
Purchased
Uganda 1972
A devastating decree is issued: all Ugandan Asians must leave the country in ninety days. They must take only what they can carry, give up their money and never return.
For Asha and Pran, married a matter of months, it means abandoning the family business that Pran has worked so hard to save. For his mother, Jaya, it means saying goodbye to the house that has been her home for decades. But violence is escalating in Kampala, and people are disappearing. Will they all make it to safety in Britain and will they be given refuge if they do?
And all the while, a terrible secret about the expulsion hangs over them, threatening to tear the family apart.
From the green hilltops of Kampala, to the terraced houses of London, Neema Shah’s extraordinarily moving debut Kololo Hill explores what it means to leave your home behind, what it takes to start again, and the lengths some will go to protect their loved ones.
My review:
I first became acquainted with this book when it showed up on several Women's Prize for Fiction prediction lists. The premise sounded intriguing, so I ordered a copy. What a great move on my part, and I completely agree that it should have made the Women's Prize list! Once again, I learned about a part of history that I don't remember ever being taught, the expulsion of Asians living in Uganda under Idi Amin in 1972. The story follows one of these families forced to flee. The beginning of the book gives us some insight into their lives in Uganda as the decree first starts being talked about. Do they take it seriously, or is it just another empty threat from their new despot? From there we are given the opportunity to experience what it must be like to leave your entire life and livelihood behind and start over in a place where you have no money and do not even speak the language (sound familiar for current culture?). The story is told from the viewpoint of three family members, and they are wonderfully scripted! I loved learning about not only their life in Uganda, but the harrowing journey they took to London, and the way they had to start completely new lives while still trying to cling to some traditions of their past (just trying to find food that they could figure out how to make was a challenge). The writing was lovely (hard to believe it is a debut novel), without any extra words or phrases not pertinent to the ongoing story. The end was not overly tidy and neat, but a perfect reflection on how life is messy and complex. I was completely hooked from beginning to end, and was definitely rooting for Asha, Jaya, and Vijay to find fulfillment and some semblance of happiness.
I highly recommend this story of family and what makes a home, when the one you were secure in gets taken away. Lovely writing and well drawn characters make this one a book not to be missed!
