I never thought that there would be a book with Africa in the background in Tajfuny, so I am incredibly grateful for the twist of fate that brought Kololo Hill into my hands. This is the story of an Indian family forced to leave Uganda, where they have lived for decades.
It’s the 1970s and violence is on the rise in Kampala. People disappear overnight, never to return, and the rulers incite hatred against minorities. One day, the president of Uganda, Idi Amin, announces that people of Asian descent have 90 days to leave the country, and thus are forced to give up their property for nothing, looking for a way to leave.
Asha and Pran are newly married and trying to survive in an increasingly cruel reality while navigating various challenges in their private lives. It is a story about identity, love and family, which does not idealize or simplify. It is a story about clashing forces and a search for identity, but also an important record of history that we do not learn about – not only the history of Uganda, but the effects of centuries of British colonization and its subsequent decline.
Kololo Hill is both an intimate story about a family and a record of a “great” history. Thanks to this, the novel engages emotionally, guarantees literary pleasure, and additionally encourages further reading.
There are no reviews yet.