Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on April 2nd 2019
ISBN: 0062795295
Pages: 336
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Asha and Yesofu are best friends. They have grown up doing everything together even though Asha comes from a wealthy Indian family, who Yesofu’s mother and brother work for and Yesofu who is an African, that works in the fields with his father. This is a tale of friendship and racism that revolves around President Idi Amin’s take over of Uganda. In 1972, Amin set in motion the expulsion of all Indians from Uganda so that Africa could be returned to the Africans.  Whether Indians were Ugandan citizens, of which many were, they were required to leave or face dire consequences.

This is a well written historical fiction of a time in Uganda’s history that pitted friends, family and a country against each other.  Told in alternating perspectives between how Asha, who doesn’t feel that their friendship is wrong and Yesofu, who is torn between friendship and the right thing to do.  In the back of the book is a timeline for the “Countdown to the Expulsion” and the Author’s Notes there is historical background information provided.

Recommended for grades 4-7.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford, ME.