All Our Names

All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu takes place in Uganda during the 1970’s. The main character Isaac is coming from Ethiopia who has never been colonized but still experiences the effects from the European colonial forces. The book shows the two narrators struggle to find love in a society which has not yet accepted interracial relationship and the pressures each character faces from the expectations they are dealt with from society and their individual societies.I enjoyed reading the book because I feel as if although the ending wasn't happy it was realistic. Many times we want a story to have a happy ending and everything work, but in reality many of us are not satisfied with our final decisions and only hope the risk we take can result in positive news. I believe that the conditions of the country also in a way reflect the different relationships exhibited in the book. I disliked the book a little because I feel as if many books written by African authors tend to involve colonization. I would like to read more stories about Africa and Africa alone, not involving colonization. Although it was a major part of African history, it’s not the only part of Africa.The ending of the book reminds me of all the books we have read thus far in class because the ending has yet to be happy, only realistic. There seems to be a theme of tragedy in many of the novels we’ve read, and they’ve all also have had an influence of colonization. I wonder what would the stories of the contient be like if colonization is not a factor? And is this theme of tragedy present more in African novels in because of colonization? Can we ever discuss Africa without discussing the effects of colonization? Does Africa exist without European influence and why aren’t there more stories about that?

The words flow quickly and mostly effortlessly, while the alternating points of view build on the time-shifted unfolding of identities, with occasional clues to link them.  The earlier Isaac / Professor track is the stronger one; Helen's relationship approach and a superficial feel for the American environment undermines the second track, but an intriguing twist and the endings keep this in four star range.

Book Review of All Our Names by Dinaw MengestuThis book unfolds with an elegant complexity—always accessible, yet continuously surprising and refreshing. From the beginning, the reader is provided with two narrative strands and conflicting information on how to relate them together. Identities are rendered ambiguous, names change, and the narrative voices shift. Readers are asked to question their assumptions: Is Isaac really who I really think he is? What are the time frames of the two narratives? Where did these characters come from, and what led them here?Nevertheless, All Our Names strikes this crucial balance between narrative satisfaction and lingering philosophical questions. Mengestu presents the first narrative through the eyes of a young Ugandan “student” (never truly enrolled in university, but engaged in the campus life), whose name, we learn, begins with a “D” and sounds akin to the Anglicized “Daniel.” In fact, by titling the first chapter “Isaac,” even though it is not narrated by Isaac as we know him thus far, Mengestu prepares us for the instability of identity that follows. The other narrative is told from the perspective of Helen, a young, grounded social worker who has lived the majority of her life a small city called Laurel. This strand, too, revolves around an African man supposedly named Isaac and her budding romance with him. Throughout the novel, I found myself putting forth assumptions as to Isaac’s identity, but then quickly finding it debunked. This back and forth creates a propelling tension and contributed to the fast pace of the novel; I was turning each page as quickly as possible to test the validity of my assumption, to see if it held together. I became a detective alongside Helen, waiting in her car outside of Isaac’s apartment, but whereas she wanted to preserve the mystery just a bit longer, I was dying to learn the truth about Isaac’s identity.The novel does not rest entirely on its two-part narrative structure, though. It was also absolutely masterful in its subtle linkages of motifs and themes. Almost unconsciously, the two narratives use shared images of hand-holding; performance; a sense of being watched; universities and university protests; mapping and mark-making; and rooms of buildings (among many other motifs). Often, the two narratives seem to pivot off of one another via these subtle connections.In terms of contextualizing this within African literature overall, the juxtapositions of narrative voice reminded me slightly of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing. So, too, did the emphasis on names and acts of naming. However, whereas Homegoing straightforwardly addressed violence wrought on women, I felt that this topic was more subtly addressed in All Our Names; our D— narrator only briefly notices the female student being taken away by the soldiers after the Ugandan university protest, and he only quickly notes the absence of young women in the later village. He says, “[T]he loss of women was clearly recent. It was easy enough to guess what might have happened, but I refuse to think too long on it” (213). This is primarily because this first narrative thread is from the perspective of D— and Isaac, who are entrenched in the highly masculine world of warfare. Unlike Homegoing, though, All Our Names offers a great discussion of male intimacy, specifically in the relationship between Isaac and D—. Rather than stepping over male intimacy or sweeping it under the rug, this novel engaged with the complexities of their relationship in the violent atmosphere and power dynamics that surrounded them.

This is the first time reading this author, it definitely will not be my last. Thorough enjoyable, a real page turner.

Hard to accept all that we suspected. Well written, makes you feel and think, frustrated and guilty with our mad sad bad world near and far. Guilty, because it is a good read, too.

I have been planning to read Dinaw's books for long and I started with All our names, it is a nice book, with a story which shows most of African countries. 👏🏾

For the first time i finished a book with in two days!! this book is really very interesting to read and it makes me to enjoy with in very good way of writing .i hope this guy may become one of the best ever.

Deeply thought provoking, the kind of book you have to keep reading but not sure if you really want to because of the emotions it evokes.The text flows freely, but so carefully crafted, loved the way it is written, two voices but three persons.I look forward to more books.