Child of Dandelions

Booklist Review

Sabine is 15 years old in the summer of 1972, when Ugandan president Idi Amin

issues his proclamation that all “foreign Indians” must leave the country within 90

days. Unlike many of the Indians in their Kampala community, Sabine was born in

Uganda, and although she is of Indian ancestry, she feels as much a Ugandan as her

best friend, Zena, an “ethnic African.” As the countdown continues, though, the

terrifying street violence reaches into Sabine’s home, and she realizes that despite

her family’s Ugandan citizenship, they aren’t immune from the president’s decree.

Nanji, who grew up in East Africa, exposes a period of shocking, rarely viewed

political history in this vivid story that makes the horrors feel both personal and

universal. Sabine’s close, realistic friendship with Zena, who admires “Dada Amin,”

mirrors societal warfare over issues of class, race, and nationhood. The story’s

authentic emotions and relationships balance the detailed cultural and historical

explanations and combine in a gripping story of a remarkable teen who helps her

family face impossible loss. — Gillian Engberg

Review Booklist - June 1, 2008