Impactful Dual Voice Story

So absorbing, I couldn’t put it down! Debut author Tina Athaide’s Orange for the Sunsets is a compelling historical fiction middle grade novel that will transport you to Uganda in 1972 at the start of the Indian Expulsion.

Eloquently told in two separate and distinct voices, Tina Athaide explores this tumultuous time in history from the perspective of an Indian girl, Asha, born and raised in Uganda and an African boy, Yesofu, whose family works for Asha’s. Perfectly capturing the separate voices and the thoughts and feelings of both groups during the Expulsion as well as the tug between the heart and the head. Tina Athaide was able to explore so much in such a short story.

I loved how the story alternated from Asha to Yesofu, with short but impactful chapters making it really accessible to middle grade and young adult readers. The story flowed from page to page, not taking a break, all the way through the 90 days. Tina Athaide explored the push and pull between the classes and the consequences of each action and reaction. There were moments of beauty and moments of terror, always keeping in mind the reader, no sugar coating but not with the full extent of the violence that was perpetrated during this cruel time in history.

Not only is it a compelling story of friendship but it is a fascinating story about Idi Amin and his reign of terror. Most young readers won’t have heard of Idi Amin and to be honest, if I hadn’t already seen the film The Last King of Scotland, I wouldn’t have known who he was or anything about the Expulsion. History is important, it's a reminder of where we have been and a warning to do better and be better. Historical fiction makes history so much more absorbing and interesting. Orange for the Sunsets was this year's Canadian Children’s Book Centre Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People winner. Don’t miss the timeline and the acknowledgements at the end of the story for further reading and a better understanding of the time.