Child of Dandelions Hardcover – March 1, 2008

I have been for the last 10-11 years part of a wonderful Book Club. We call ourselves "The Book Gems". Over the years we have read the finest literature ever. We are a very close knit group of very intelligent, passionate, knowledgable and sensitive ladies. Many times we touched on my history and how my family had ended up in Britain from Uganda. So when it came to my turn I researched and found that there were not many books written about Uganda and the experiences of what the foreign Indians went through at the hand of Dada Idi Amin.This is part of history that not many people around the world know about. I was born in Jinja Uganda in 1966 and just 6 years later President Dada Idi Amin ordered an expulsion of all Foreign Indians and he imposed the 90 day count-down. This is my history and part of my life that has been deeply engraved in my memory. Reading Child of Dandelions really bought back the reality of what had gone on during this period. I loved the book because of that. It finally allowed me to let "The Book Gems". to feel for themselves the actual truth, the fear and sacrifies my family and other indian families had to make. It is a must read for all to find the terror and the truth about Uganda and Dada Ide Amin. I also choose The Shattered Pearl by Sara Armstrong to read along side Child of Dandelions both are easy reads but the knowledge acquired is of any history lecture given on Uganda. I loved both books. Greatly written and a very compelling story.

This was a remarkable book, a fine look into the political hell inflicted on Ugandan's Indian citizen and non-citizens during Idi Amin's reign of terror. The author is very objective and writes very well. The customs of the Ugandan society and the India society are well presented.

I enjoyed the book as I had a similar background and was curious about reading someone's experience on the topic. I was younger than her at the time so it was interesting for me to see what it was like for my older cousins during Amin's deportation.

Idi Amin's reign of terror in Uganda included the ethnic cleansing of Uganda's Indian minorities. This book, from the perspective of a young girl, a Ugandan citizen but born to a family of successful Muslim Indian businesspeople, showcases the first tendency of socialists: DIVIDE AND ATTACK. Idi Amin singled out the talented and successful people in Uganda for elimination, gave them fair warning: 90 days until the exterminations begin, but then jumped the gun and started the political killings early.Sabine, the hero of this story, watches as her culture, friendships, and family are swept away by the evil of socialism. Watches as her girlhood friend is turned into a child prostitute for the President. Watches as her family is blamed for their successes and resilience by scummy soldiers motivated by greed.Sabine develops a "blame the victim" mindset: "Aunty, it is our fault. We took advantage of them..." p. 180. Understandable in the character, but false.Parents should be aware that Sabine travels to a cold-storage warehouse where the mutilated bodies of tortured political prisoners wait to be identified and dumped into the crcodile-infested lake for disposal. She sees the maimed corpses, and so does the reader. Various types of torture-killings are described with friendly names: "helicopter treatment," "hammer treatment," etc. Also, Sabine barely escapes being raped by a soldier as she tries to get her paperwork to flee the regime. Lower age limit of 14, is my recommendation.

I think I had heard somewhere before about the expulsion of Indians from Uganda, but beyond a vague recollection I knew nothing about it. Nanji has done teenagers a service with this novel, which tells the story of an episode in recent African history that's been all but forgotten in the West. Idi Amin came out against the wealthy Indian minority in Uganda and gave the entire population ninety days to get out of the country or die. Sabine's family believes the order doesn't apply to them because they are Ugandan citizens who have been living in Africa for generations, but they quickly learn that such niceties mean little to the dictator and his henchmen.Nanji resists the temptation to turn the characters into stereotypes; there are no all evil or all good people in this novel, but you see shades of gray in each one: Sabine's racist but kind family friend. Sabine's family's loyal African servant, who thinks of her family as his own. Sabine's African best friend who worships Idi Amin and agrees that, for the good of Uganda, the Indians must go. Her friend's uncle who is one of those abusing the Indians but protects Sabine's family at risk to himself. Sabine's grandfather, who's carrying a secret. Occasional phrases in African and Indian languages are sprinkled throughout and add authenticity without being distracting.This story is taut and suspenseful. As the countdown continues and the tensions escalate, readers will keenly feel Sabine's fear and uncertainty. A fine work; I would recommend it, and read this author again.

Child of Dandelions is a heart-rending story of Sabine - a teenager living in Uganda. Nanji's storytelling is pure and Sabine's (mis)adventure is full of the sights and sounds of Uganda in the 1970s when Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of some 80,000 Indians.Nanji - a children's book author has made an impressive debut into the Young Adult genre with her new book!

THE NOVEL HAS A BIT OF A SLOW START BUT IT READS WELL. WHILE MANY OF US HAVE NEVER FACED INJUSTICES THIS STORY OPENS ONES EYES TO THE WORLD AROUND US