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Idi Amin and Tasneem Jamal

Tasneem Jamal: If there was a poster child book for the virtues of this complex concept, it could easily be former daily newspaper editor Tasneem Jamal Where the Air is Sweet, a perfect summer read that could tempt even the most stalwart nonfiction devotee back into novel territory. The reader is immediately drawn in with a tense preview of the central conflict that will drive the narrative an Indian family in Uganda, threatened under the dictatorship of the brutal tyrant Idi Amin then further hooked with a lovely story of three generations of this family that emigrated from Gujarat northwest India in 1921. , according to Hamilton Spectator. First and foremost, Raju is shocked by the radically different family structure and gender roles he discovers in East Africa. The cultural exchange leaves its mark on him, but is even more pronounced on his children, that second generation who belong more to the new land than the old. Jamal does a brilliant job exploring the moving target of gender politics at play, at first between the two cultures, and then later, as the family walks the line between tradition and modernity all the while negotiating the complicated mess left behind by the British Empire colonial policies. But the most powerful aspect of this novel is the thoroughly human dimension of the saga. Readers are drawn into the family hard-won victories, only to share the acute disbelief and unimaginable pain people must feel when, in a heartbeat, their entire reality shifts from a firm foundation filled with everyday life to a nightmare of violence and homelessness. More spoiler alerts from history: Canada accepted a large number of Ugandan refugees second only to Britain including author Jamal own family, which settled in Kitchener. Where the Air is Sweet wraps up in Canada, where the family must rebuild its foundation anew. Although that must be a daunting prospect, there an optimism at the end of this book, thanks to the actions of a welcoming community of Southern Ontarians and a chance encounter with an awesome-sounding Canada Customs agent. In the ongoing debate as to whether or not literary fiction is dead, its champions argue that indulging in fiction is a precious chance to simultaneously immerse ourselves in an alternate reality, engage with another mind, heighten our capacity for empathy and exercise our imagination. All while soaking up the rays on the patio. A passing familiarity with African history is all the spoiler alert we need, since many will already know that, shortly after Amin came to power in 1971, he expelled 80,000 Asians as part of his vision of Africanization. He exploited existing Indophobia and made scapegoats of the Indian and Pakistani communities, initially established before the turn of the 20th century. Amin seized Asian property regardless of their birthplace and citizenship status and gave them 90 days to leave. Many considered themselves lucky to get out alive. Others risked their lives trying to liquidate remaining assets and smuggle some money out of the country. The family in Where the Air is Sweet is one such, taking a risk that might appear unthinkable without the context and history that Jamal draws with the multigenerational tale. Unsurprisingly, after 50 years, the family has come to call Africa home, despite the cultural differences that Raju, the patriarch and central protagonist, struggled with on arrival. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.