Orange for the Sunsets

A friendship between an African boy and an Indian girl is tested in Idi Amin’s Uganda: “Fascinating and beautiful . . . hard to put down and hard to forget.” —Kashmira Sheth, author of Boys Without Names

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2019 Selection and a Canadian Children’s Book Center Best Books for Kids & Teens Pick

Asha and her best friend, Yesofu, never cared about the differences between them: Indian. African. Girl. Boy. Short. Tall. But when the president, Idi Amin, announces that Indians have ninety days to leave the country, suddenly those differences are the only things that people in Entebbe can see—not the shared after-school samosas or Asha cheering for Yesofu at every cricket game.

Wanting her life to stay the same, Asha clings to her world tighter than ever before. But Yesofu is torn, pulled between his friends, his family, and a promise of a better future. Now as neighbors leave and soldiers line the streets, the two find that nothing seems sure—not even their friendship. Tensions between Indians and Africans intensify and the deadline to leave is fast approaching. Could the bravest thing of all be to let each other go?

From Tina Athaide comes a soaring tale of empathy, hope, and resilience, as two best friends living under Idi Amin’s divisive rule must examine where—and who—they call home.

“Address[es] the human complexity of literal borders and figurative walls and lives that are irrevocably and heartbreakingly changed in crises.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A moving story.” —Booklist

“For those wondering how to discuss the dangers of manipulative and toxic nationalism with children, this delicately told story is it . . . a nuanced and balanced way to see politics through a child’s eyes.” —Nadia Hashimi, author of The Pearl that Broke Its Shell

“In alternating perspectives within the 90-day countdown, both characters reckon with questions that are still relevant in today’s world.” —School Library Journal