This is a powerful read about Uganda in the 1970s
This book is very much a character driven book and doesn’t really have a huge plot
The characters were slightly weak which was disappointing

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A slow paced story beginning with the life of Asian families living happily in Kampala, until the devastating decree issued by Idi Amin: all Ugandan Asians must leave the country in ninety days. They must take only what they can carry, give up their money and never return. 50,000 Asians became homeless, were left with nothing. As they struggles to find ways to flee the country, anything of value that they took with them was stolen buy Amin's ruthless soldiers.

Asha and Pran had only been married a few months when their life and family was torn apart. Given refuge in UK, how would they adjust to life in North London?

Wow! What a book, such a visceral read - it has really got under my skin.
The half set in Uganda took me fully to Africa, I could see/hear/feel & smell everything as well as being kept on the edge of my seat and so tense. The second half was just as physical and I felt the temperature & culture shock along with the characters.

Nothing was shied away from in the book, yet it was still a hopeful read.

Poignant. Shocking. Insightful. While steering through a dreadful decree that sets an alarm on a minority community in Ugandan dictatorship, this debut comments on familial relationships, painful departures, and starting afresh despite the emotional damage and baggage being carried across borders.

Kololo Hill is a historical fiction featuring Ugandan Indians who traverse the horrors and hope of home.

Following a military coup that established a dictator in 1972 Uganda, a forcible exclusion and expulsion of the Indian minority was declared and commenced amidst brutal curfews and strict night patrols. With people disappearing and bodies floating the Nile river, the violence evidently divided the population despite the united brutality of the military they all faced. Set against this backdrop, the stories of three fictional characters are played out through two sections: one set in Uganda during the few days before them being expelled, and the other playing out their new lives following the historical scar.

An omniscient narration exposes the unfortunate mask of nationalism that often sidelines and ultimately nullifies the existence of minorities in the very same nation, through character-driven prose that also bring the history of British colonialism, economic disparity in the community, and what home really means to light. Pran, the dominant head of a family who is passionate and prideful of his family business, doesn't believe in the soon-to-be-true rumours of this forced expulsion. His need to keep the family united often affects the peace of his family, ironically establishing him as an autocrat of this little world of his.

Asha, his wife, is opinionated and assertive, doesn't shy away from acknowledging the privilege they hold, and determined to create a better life in England after the nightmare she witnessed back in Uganda. Jaya, Pran's mother, is the matriarchal head whose soft power chases to uphold the pride and dignity of her family while coping with the sudden loss of two men in her life—her husband who died from a fall after being threatened by soldiers and the houseboy, an unlikely companion, who disappeared without a word. Despite beginning her life in Uganda during her teen years after marriage and thereby being sentimentally connected to the land, Jaya shows strength and is determined to guide her family towards England to start anew.

Vijay, the youngest, has always supported his elder brother, Pran, but the loss of home forces him to think more about himself and walk towards England with an optimistic perspective. Navigating a new path and the challenges that come with it, he depicts the continuous efforts made by refugees to reinvent their lives. These characters together paint the sensitivity of love, anger, and fear while horrors unravel and hope persists. They show the emotional differences and distinct viewpoints within a family as they reminisce their lost country and begin to make another their home.

Whilst it’s not quite my usual type of book, I enjoyed this. I thought it was well written and an interesting storyline, it’s not something I ever knew about before I read this.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This compelling novel based in Uganda in 1972 during the exile of Ugandan South Asians is filled with gut-wrenching scenes of refugees fleeing their homeland with little to none of their money or belongings.

Against the backdrop of this crisis, author Neema Shah focuses on one joint family forced to leave their home. The main protagonists (Jaya, the MIL & Asha, the DIL & Vijay, Jaya's younger son & Asha's BIL) tell the story of their family as they make the harrowing voyage from Uganda to England & try to make sense of not only the violence which they experienced at the hands of Idi Amin's (President of Uganda) soldiers; but, also their internal conflicts and changes to their relationships with each other.

Shah does a wonderful job of developing her characters--they are all so multi-layered. I felt captivated by the emotional roller coaster each of them felt as events of their plight unfolded. Until one is in this type of situation, directed to leave everything behind and to start over in a country where they would have trouble communicating, where they could not obtain jobs doing what they are trained to do, & having to be at the goodwill & mercy of strangers to help them find housing & settle into a new life...I don't believe one can completely fathom the dire situation. Shah allows us to walk beside the characters & feel the depth of emotions & fear, desperation, & hope that surrounds their every move.

At the end of the novel, I was left with a sense of stability & peace for the family...each chooses what they feel they need as they enter a new phase of life very different from the one they left in Uganda. The best part was seeing the positive growth made by Asha & Vijay.

Kololo Hill follows a couple who leave Uganda in 1972. I found this interesting as I didn't know a huge amount about this topic (although, I did read We Are All Birds in Uganda earlier this year). I found the writing to be really accessible and the history was very interesting.

What a phenomenal debut about the forced expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1970s and an important history lesson. I knew nothing of this atrocity before reading Kololo Hill and it has encouraged me to find out more.
The novel itself is beautifully written – informative yet not overly graphic. It centres upon a family of Ugandan Asians who have worked their way into a position of relative prosperity only to be given short notice that they have to leave Uganda, facing increased violence, robbery and death in the meantime. Based upon the passports they hold, the family is split and they become refugees. This book addresses the plight of displacement, but also the strength of family and community and the will to succeed even when dealt a horrendous hand. Incredibly powerful and a must-read.

This novel is about a Gujarati family living in Uganda under the regime of Idi Amen. They live in a house on Kololo Hill. Kololo has meaning here connected to the story, history and the situation the is created by these historical events which the author makes a point to share.

Asha is newly married to Pran and lives in his family home. Their relationship is marred by his deceptions and lying to hide 'things to worry'. He is secretive and we see the other side of him as manipulative as he uses his own brother (who has a birth impairment) to is own means. As the relationship between Asha ad Pran deteriorates so does the state of the country.

At the start of the novel they stop on their way home and Asha sees body parts in the river nearby. There is a curfew and they are trying to get home before it starts but she insists on a stop which she then realises is not a wise decision.

We get their memories of life before all of these events shared at key points in the novel to build up a picture of the before and the after. Asha and Pran are both brought up in Uganda. Pran has remained Ugandan whilst his family have changed their nationality, when they could, to allow them to move/leave more freely. His parents meeting, wedding, and life is shared with us slowly throughout the whole novel to build a picture of the resilience of the displaced women and contrast the detrimental impact on many Ugandan men at this time.

We see the escalation of hostilities and the abandonment of citizens with passports, being denied access to the country of nationality when evicted from Uganda or having no nationality as their Ugandan citizenship is revoked. The family all have different nationalities which symbolises how families were split up. Wife from husband, father from son. Only letters from each to connect them. The violence of the sporadic checkpoints, whilst trying to flee, leaving many men and women traumatised and bereft of any wealth, even earings were pulled off ears brutally leaving scars.

The novel is in 2 parts, the second their lives in the UK. The contrast to their lives in Uganda where the women did not work, everyone needs to work and ironically it is the women who are the most successful. It is a different lifestyle where women work to support the family but they live without Pran who has gone missing. When he finally arrives he has difficulty with his disempowerment and Asha’s confidence. Asha becomes the guide and Pran needs to accept the changes. This is difficult when you come from a patriarchal society. We are taken through all of their struggles to come to terms with their new lives and find a way forward.

By writing this through the eyes of Asha, the author softens a lot of the violence experienced by all in Uganda at this time. The ‘cleansing’ of tribal groups is dealt with in a very human and personal way. This makes it an easier read than it could have been. Asha reflects on this ‘ignoring’ of suffering by those it has not impacted at the time and the causes of the uprising. (Reminded me of Niyi Osundare: Not My Business which has a similar theme).

I found it hard to read so I also bought the audiobook version, as I often find this helps me to keep reading when the narrative is uncomfortable. In the audiobook version voices are beautifully accented to give life/identity to each character, in contrast the narrator has a standard English accent. The different nationalities and language have their own character, distinct ways of talking that make them feel real. There are phrases and styles of speech to allow those reading to identify and connect with them all.

If you, like me are trying to read more about how our cultures were created by reading ‘real stories’ rather than the history as taught in school, then this is an essential read. One more puzzle piece in the jigsaw that makes up British society.

I received a free copy from netgally.com for my fair and honest review.

Sadly the forced migration of peoples is still very much a theme that has carried over into the twenty-first century, which makes Neema Shah's novel depicting the lives of Uganda's South Asian community, expelled into exile under Idi Amin's murderous regime, still very relevant.

Themes of xenophobia, migration, and dislocation are central to this wonderfully captivating read, which follows the fate of one family as they leave their home, or rather as they are forced out of their home, and plunged into uncertainty, attempting to forge new lives in England in the early 1970s.

Family intrigues and secrets abound, personal failings disappoint, but none quite as much as the betrayal of the country they had once called home.

This is a bittersweet read, with endearing characters, many of them flawed. But more importantly it tackles the subject of immigration head on, from the point of view of the immigrant, providing a fly on the wall view of the difficulties and challenges faced by those hoping to lead better, safer lives elsewhere.

In parallel, the novel highlights many of the unique facets of East African South Asian culture, with frequent generous mouth-watering servings of Gujarati cuisine and quite a bit of vocabulary too.

But looking at this novel in a contemporary context, it's hard not to think about the UK's current immigration policies, nor to ignore the many parallels between the lives of the characters and that of the family of the UK's current Home Secretary, and how difficult it is to square that traumatic experience of forced exile with the draconian policies of her Home Office. Home - very much a subject central to this book.

A timely and very accessible read; a story lovingly told and embellished with many delightful details, not least a long mention of Raj Kapoor's song detailing the geographical origins of his wardrobe and his heart. (My only quibble is that my favourite character, the feisty Mrs Goswami, didn't feature more.) Highly recommended.

What a beautiful story exploring African, Indian history. A topic that shamefully I didn't know much about. Neema beautifully writes a story of home, family, trauma, loss and belonging.

The story follows one Ugandan Asian family in 1972 as they are faced with the order by Idi Amin for all Asians to leave Uganda. Asha and Pran are newlyweds, living with his parents and brother, Vijay. I loved how the story was told from from multiple point of views, I highly recommend.

I enjoyed Kololo Hill and also found the historical aspect interesting and a reminder of some of the drivers behind immigration to Britain and the harsh realities of this situation.

Kololo Hill is a moving story that centres around a family and their lives before, during and after the rise of Idi Amin in Uganda.
Asha is newly married to Pran, and lives with his parents, Jaya and Motichand, and his brother Vijay. The family don’t take Idi Amin’s threats seriously when he initially says that all Ugandan Asians must leave Uganda within ninety days, with nothing except for what they can carry, or face the consequences. But when the soldiers arrive and the violence starts, there can be no denying what they must do. Except they all have different passports. Motichand and Pran have Indian passports, Asha, Jaya and Vijay’s are British. And the British won’t allow them to stay together.
It isn’t just Asians whose lives are in danger. December, the family’s houseboy, is in hiding in their house, as the area he comes from is exterminated by the military.
The danger and fear were tangible when I was reading this book. It’s dangerous to even leave their houses or open their doors, and there is an ever present fear of violence and rape. Even when leaving for the airport, soldiers set up checkpoints so that they can extort as much money as possible form people before they leave.
And then there is the stark contrast between their lives in Uganda and England. Jaya, Asha and Vijay are initially given accommodation in an army barracks before they are placed in houses in (in their case) London.
They go from sunshine, warmth, comfort and colour, to cold, dreary, grey England, where the locals are hostile and accuse them of taking their jobs, or in the case of Vijay, who has part of his arm missing, won’t give him a job because of disability, even though he wants to work.
I was riveted to this book and really didn’t want to put it down. It poses the questions: what is home? Is it the place where you were born? The place where you live? Is home the people who you are with?
There were so many gasp out loud moments in this book. It deserves all the hype around it - and more.
Many thanks to Picador for providing me with an e-copy through NetGalley.

Kololo Hill is a fantastic debut. Emotive, thought provoking and extremely well written it sweeps you up in the story and keeps you compelled to keep turning the pages.

Did you know?
In 1896, the British government took Indians under compulsion to East Africa to build the Kenyan-Ugandan railway, one of the most difficult to be built in the history of the railways. It was a dreadful experience for about 32,000 Indians and was famously named the ‘lunatic line’. Their successors became small business and factory owners, shopkeepers and clerks. Later, in 1972 General Idi Amin declared that Ugandan Asians were ‘bloodsuckers’ and ‘burdens on the state’. And this is how 80,000 Ugandan Asians were expelled from their home and given 90 days to leave.

𝘒𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘭𝘰 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭 is the story of one such Gujarati family who called Uganda home and suddenly one day, found themselves struggling to seek refuge in any other country, desperate to be accepted. It furthermore shows the cruelty, harassment and public beatings by Idi Amin’s soldiers towards Asians and other minor Ugandan tribes.

What's more unique about this debut novel are the detailed characters, especially women protagonists. My heart goes out to faithful December, strong-willed Asha, resilient Jaya, good-hearted Vijay and happy-go-lucky Motichand.

@neemashahauthor beautifully captures the lives of immigrants, their emotions while leaving everything behind and adapting to a new culture and country. Her words will keep you hooked from the beginning, take you on a trip to the radiant land of Uganda and make you wonder what home really means to you.

Strongly recommended.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.
Always been a fan of romantic fiction. And this book delivers without disappointing. Dive into this amazing book for an exciting story.

Unsurprisingly, the expulsion of Uganda's Asian population in 1972 wasn't something I was taught about, or even made aware of, at school. So, when I came across Kololo Hill on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to be one of the first to read this debut novel and learn a little about a true event I had, sadly, never even heard of before.

It begins with a rather horrific and shocking scene, which lets you know from the outset just how dangerous the situation has become for the Asian minority in Uganda. It's a very effective, if upsetting, start. The novel follows the experience a single, fictional, family but the upheaval and uncertainty they face was a reality for thousands of displaced people.

The story is told from multiple POVs: Asha (newly wed to Pran), Jaya (Pran's mother) and Vijay (Pran's brother). Being closer in age to Asha, I thought she would be my favourite character, but, while I loved her, it was Jaya that stole my heart! You cannot help but admire her resilience, strength and optimism, even through unimaginable grief and fear.

Her narrative provided insight into the experience of those who first emigrated to Uganda from India in the 1940s, travelling across the ocean on a blacked-out ship as the Second World War raged around them. Her prior experience of leaving everything she had ever known to travel to a country where she couldn't speak the language perhaps gave her an advantage over her children and Asha, who were born and raised in Uganda, when she was forced to do this all again.

I really liked that even in the midst of an event of this magnitude, playing out on the world stage, there was still smaller dramas within the family - Pran's dishonesty and scheming creates tension between him, Asha and Vijay, and Jaya has a long-held secret of her own. It made the whole thing feel incredibly realistic.

Another way in which Neema achieves this is through her incredibly vivid descriptions of every element of the world these characters inhabit, from the clothes the characters wear, to what they eat, the music they listen to, to the weather. It's a joy to read - less like you're reading, more like you're actually there.

While the novel is a depiction of a the plight of an Ugandan-Asian family following the expulsion order, Neema presents a nuanced view of the sociopolitical climate in Uganda, highlighting the contrast between the lives of the well-off Ugandan-Asians, who live up on the top of the hill in the large houses left by the British, and the black Ugandans, who are still physically and economically at the bottom. Once again, we are invited to consider the long shadow of British colonialism.

My only criticism is that I felt that the pacing was slightly off but it's not a big deal. I thought this was an excellent novel and I'm looking forward to reading whatever is next!

I remember this event, Asians being expelled from Uganda, the evil grinning face of Idi Amin on the news. The struggle of families to settle in a new country., greeted with prejudice and occasional sympathy.
The first half of this book takes place in Uganda and is concentrated on the erosion of privileges and the increasing tensions in the country. The characters of the family emerge and engage us, although it was overly long for me, somehow it was hard to identify with the people. When the remainder of the family finally meet up in England, they all feel estranged as a lie is gradually uncovered having a huge impact.
An uncomfortable story based on fact..

A beautifully written debut novel exploring the aftereffects of colonial rule, Idi Amin’s dictatorship and the expulsion of Asian Ugandans from their homeland in 1972.
The story is told from the perspectives of three of the main protagonists, allowing the reader an intimate insight into the lives of an Asian Ugandan family: Jaya, the older, sensitively aware matriarch, mother of Vijay and Pran; Vijay, the younger of the two brothers, and Asha, the new bride of Pran. Their stories are elegantly interwoven, each character offering their own viewpoints of the unfolding tensions and the ensuing dangers and fears.
Through the characters, Shah explores such wide-ranging themes as oppression, displacement, loss, family, loyalty, identity, and community. This is done with a real sense of compassion and sensitivity, but she does not shy away from the brutality that people experienced at the hands of Amin’s followers and soldiers.
This is a story in two parts. The first details the developing tensions and brutality surrounding the 90 days’ notice to leave the country. The second explores the family’s rupture and resettling in a new and very foreign lands.
Shah has a deftly descriptive hand and through her words, readers are drawn into the lives of the family and their friends: we see their world, smell their food, feel their joy, and experience their pain and understand their desire to hold on to their traditions and community. And while there is a real sense of authorial passion, there is a welcome absence of mawkish sentimentality: it is quite simply, beautifully written.
Many thanks to Netgalley and to the publishers for the ARC in return for an independent review.