His Book Review: All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu (2014)

Why he read this book: Listed on multiple lists of best books of 2014

Would he recommend this book: Maybe

His review: After reading this book, I realized that one of the advantages I gained when I took on the self-assigned challenge of reading the top 20 books from 2014, was that I’d read books not normally in my interest. I don’t know that I’d (1) know about this book and (2) if know, would have read based on the description. However, I’m glad I did read it, although I’m not yet convinced of its high ranking.

In describing this as an accessible book, I’m not in any way discounting its vision or story or character development. I’m promoting its ability to not let an convoluted narrative structure or overworked writing style distance the audience from the characters and the story. The strength of the book is in not allowing the reader’s lack of familiarity of Ugandan history or politics to keep them from appreciating Issac, the central character. The book weaves two first person narratives–one from the friend of Issac, as they move from activists to rebels in Uganda. The other is from a female lover of the friend after the friend has has immigrated to the Midwest and adopted “Issac” as his American name. These narratives voices are not distinctively different–they are distinguished by the different stories they tell more than how they tell it. I trust that this was intentional, to show that the differences between a rebel in Uganda and a civil servant in America are not in reality worlds apart.

The parallel narratives provide layered perspectives on trust, on culture, and perhaps most significantly, on love.  I liked how through the narratives we get “Issac” from different perspectives, reflecting his change as a character. In one narrative, he is the follower as events unfold around him, hidden in the shadow of Issac. In the other, he has himself become the mysterious figure in an other’s story, and all to visible in a racially aware world.

The story set in Uganda was more appealing of the two. Perhaps because it shed light on a place of which I knew little; perhaps it was the complexity of the relationship between the friend and Issac. I found the American story less interesting, and wanted more from the story and the narrator. I was left feeling that was more to Issac in America to tell.