Child of Dandelions

Kirkus Review

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 epsiode

- Kirkus Review January 15, 2008