Child of Dandelions

by Shenaaz Nanji

Overview

Inspired by real events – It is 1972, and fifteen year-old Sabine enjoys a comfortable life as the daughter of Indian parents living in Uganda. Her world is turned upside down when the country’s military President, General Idi Amin, declares foreign India

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781926739939
Publisher:	Second Story Press
Publication date:	09/01/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	307 KB

About the Author

Shenaaz Nanji was born in Kenya and now lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta. She is the author of Treasure for Lunch, Teeny Weeny Penny, Grandma’s Heart and The Old Fisherman of Lamu.

Editorial Reviews

Drawn in part from the veteran author's own experiences, this deeply felt tale takes readers to 1972 Uganda where, shortly after coming to power, Idi Amin gave all Indians and citizens of Indian descent just 90 days to leave the country. As the countdown progresses, 15-year-old Sabine witnesses a rising tide of hostility against her generally prosperous community, manifested not just in glances and silences, but riots and public beatings too. Profoundly disturbed by the disappearance of her beloved uncle, the sudden distance of her darker-skinned best friend and the arguments between her fearful mother and stubborn father, she is torn between her attachment to the only life she has ever known and the desire to flee the terror, the swaggering soldiers and the widespread violence. In the end, Sabine and most of her family survive the harassment and worse to make a suspenseful escape. Readers will feel her inner conflict sharply, admire her resilience and quick thinking-and come away shocked themselves by the brutality she encounters during this little-known historical episode. (Fiction. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews

This is a revealing story about the devastation that occurred during the dictatorship of Idi Amin and the resulting political upheaval...This book screams the question: “Does history repeat itself?” There are so many parallels to the Holocaust, they are impossible to ignore. There are references to the Jewish plight in the book, which should prompt some emotional discussion among students who have been exposed to the dark events of the Holocaust. They won’t be able to help but ask themselves how these events could have happened in Uganda only three decades later... Female Intermediate students are especially likely to identify with the main character, Sabine, who is of South Asian descent...I feel a rating of 4 stars is warranted.

EFTO VOICE

A stirring coming-of-age novel.

Quill & Quire

As I do for all books that concern other cultures/countries than our own, curious reader, I highly recommend this for your next read. Though carry a packet of tissues when you do.

Seattlepi

Readers are not only invited to experience the vivid sights of Kampala in the early 1970s, and to experience it as home for Sabine, but also to follow her through the ordeal of sudden displacement based on ethnic and class conflicts...a story that delves into the consequences of sudden cultural displacement that many Canadians experience prior to their arrival in this country.

Jeunesse: Young People

A gripping story of a remarkable teen who helps her family face impossible loss.

Booklist

A gripping narrative that immerses readers in Sabine's thoughts so that they intimately experience her loss of naivety.

CM Magazine

A fascinating coming-of-age story...Nanji does not end the book as a tragedy, but with a feeling of hope. As Sabine and her younger brother sit on a plane on their way to Canada, Sabine makes a plan: "The best way to avenge the injustice, she decided, would be to live well and be happy." "The refugees came with just their shirts on their backs," Nanji points out. "Hey, we are resilient."...Told in a steady, rhythmic tone that initially belies the horror - and then makes it seem all the worse - Child of Dandelions is beautifully written. It evokes the terror and disbelief of the time. It reveals the strengths and shames of a culture that crashed from privilege to devastation in three short months.

Desi Life Magazine