Orange for the Sunsets

Orange for the Sunsets

Juvenile fiction
"Coach started reading where Asha had left off, but paused at
the sound of footsteps. The classroom door opened and the principal
gestured for their teacher to step outside. The whole class stayed
quiet. Leela's book fell to the floor. She looked at Asha. No.
No. No. Asha wanted to jump up and stop the principal from taking
away anyone else. Stop him from taking Leela..."
Set in 1972 Uganda, Tina Atheide's Orange for the Sunsets tells
about the aftermath of Idi Amin's decision to expel all Indians in a
particularly poignant format--a portrait of two best friends: Asha
(Indian) and Yesofu (African).
On the day of the announcement Asha, on her way to the store, is
caught in a mob. People are shouting, "Indians go home." But Uganda
is her home. She was born there. Why would the president want to
make her leave all she knows and loves for a place she's never been?
Yesofu wants to believe in a better future for Blacks in
Uganda: one in which they own land and shops and attain higher
education, one in which they aren't pretty much doomed to living in
shacks and doing menial work for Indians. (His mother is a servant
for Asha's family.) But is it really panning out? Aren't blacks even
worse off as the Indians who employed them are leaving? And why does
Amin's vision require exiling all Indians including his best friend?
A timeline has been set for all Indians to be gone. As tempers
flare, danger increases. Narrated in Asha and Yesofu's alternating
voices, Orange for the Sunsets is a very relevant cautionary tale.
Athaide was born in Uganda but fled to England with her parents
when Amin took power. Family members and friends arrived later with
their stories."
"...stories about how disbelief and denial quickly turned to
fear as violence, torture, and murder spread throughout Uganda. How
homes and businesses were lost. How families separated in the rush to
leave Uganda..."
Atheide researched the causes and consequences of the
expulsion. Orange for the Sunsets reflects the insights she gleaned.
Asha and Yesofu are characters she created.
"...Their story embodies tragedy, hope, and the strength of the
human spirit in the face of adversity. But more than anything, I
wanted the significance of their friendship to shine through..."
It certainly does. That's one of the reasons that Orange for
the Sunsets is such a poignant and powerful read.
On a purrrsonal note, I read two pieces today--one of which made me
full of despair and one of which gave me some hope. The one that
scared me said that in Italy doctors will not treat people 60 and
over. My partner and I both fall into that category. I want to
live. The one that gave me hope was written by an indigenous person.
You recall her ancestors were exposed to diseases they had no immunity
to intentionally by genocidal, land hungry Whites fueled by manifest
destiny? Their perspective involves sharing (as opposed to cramming
the garage with Charmin), working collectively, and protecting the
more vulnerable because their lives are worthwhile. Those of us who
survive the shitstorm should think on what kind of world we want to
live in. I know which of these versions of the future I want.
Frankly, I am equally afraid of the pandemic and this administration's
response to it which is obviously profit over people. For weeks we
should have had a national order to stay at home (except for emergency
errands and people absolutely essential who can't work from home) with
funds for helping people get the things we all need and some kind of
penalties that would deter those who still think it's a fraud from
running all over, potential being coronavirus Cathys and Carls. We
need to all take these measures to flatten the curve. NOW!!!
On a lighter note, today is first day of distance learning for me.
I'll let you know if I master zoom. (Jules)
Yesterday it snowed. Today it is sunny and snow is mostly gone. And
still no birdies. Where are the birdies? (Tobago)
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



Sent from my iPod