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Other Names, Other Places
Growing up in London with Tunisian parents, wayward Nessie finds herself caught between cultures. Her parents don’ t want her becoming too English, while at school she doesn’ t feel ‘ white enough’ or ‘ African enough’ to fit in with any group. She even has multiple Nesrine officially, Susu to her family, Nessie to everyone else. And then there’ s Mrs a charismatic woman who befriends her parents and soon becomes the glue holding their dysfunctional family together. Yet after a catastrophic betrayal, Mrs Brown abruptly disappears from their lives. Years later, Nessie seeks independence but struggles to escape a pattern of self-sabotage. As unsolved family mysteries resurface, she begins to what really happened between her parents and Mrs Brown?
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 23, 2024
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November 22, 2023
‘English’ being a code for the diseases he worried we’d catch in this country: promiscuity, fecklessness, atheism, cold- heartedness, lack of family feeling. ‘Don’t you dare think you’re English!’ he’d say to me and Sherine whenever we broke one of his arbitrary rules. He should’ve saved his breath – we knew full well we weren’t lucky enough to be ‘English’.
What were we, then, if 'English' was a prize out of our reach and 'Tunisian' was the mask we wore at home? Nothing, really. It was easier to be nothing than to try and fail to be two things.
Other Names, Other Places by Ola Mustapha is published by small independent Fairlight Books "founded in 2017 to publish and promote writers of highly original literary and quality fiction. Since its inception, its authors have been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Republic of Consciousness Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and shortlisted for the Paul Torday Prize, the Diverse Book Awards and the BBC National Short Story Award."
The novel opens in April 2005 in a chapter entitled Reunion. The first person narrator Nesrine, approaching her 30th birthday, is at the death bed of a close friend of her parents, part of the family but not, Mrs Brown, who she has not seen for more than 15 years, since a 'Nakba', a catastrophe, led Mrs Brown and her parents to part company, and also contributed to the disintegration of her parents marriage:
When I thought back to those days, it was the image of the fish, of all things, that niggled away at me. A big silver fish lying on a chopping board. Mama screaming and screaming. A doctor dragging her along by her hair... Me and Sherine aged four and eight (or were we five and nine?) crouched by the door. Sherine fumbling to cover my eyes and ears, saying ‘Shhh, shhh,’ like it was me making that racket. You huddled in the living room with our father, whispering, ‘Don’t worry, don’t worry.’
I wanted to ask you what really happened that day, but I didn’t. It was only a riddle, not the main catastrophe. Certainly not life and death.
We talked about other things. Your children’s children: the neat symmetry of your daughter’s two boys and your son’s two girls. Sherine’s job; my lack of one. Your time in America and my time in Japan. We kept our discussion of my parents limited to the ungarnished facts.
The novel is then Nesrene recalling her life story, and addressed to Mrs Brown (who will never read it). She came to England in 1979, aged 3, from Tunisia with her mother and sister Sherine, to join their father:
I remember the kitchen but not the aeroplane. As if Mama teleported us from Tunis to Finsbury Park. We materialised in a kitchen on the top floor of a dark house, where a strange man greeted us. He had a moustache. He looked like a magician. He said, in a voice that made the air vibrate, ‘Welcome, my darlings.’
‘Who’s that man?’ I whispered to Mama, trying to hide behind her. Laughing, she said, ‘It’s Baba, of course – don’t be so silly, say hello to him properly.’
Whether or not because of the strangeness of this meeting, we never learned to call him ‘Baba’ or anything else. To us he was always just ‘That Man’ or ‘him’.
The novel is strong on identity as an immigrant, neither wholly English nor wholly Tunisian, her parents rejecting the culture to which they had brought her:
So who was I before you named me? Susu at home with the family, Nesrine on paper, Nazerene or Nes-Rhine at school. A calamity – not like Nessie, the name you gifted me. Nessie was a different kind of girl: neat and friendly, she rhymed with Jessie; even people in England couldn’t mess her up. Sherine adopted her, though That Man and Mama hung on stubbornly to Susu. Nessie even had a twin, a girl in my class whose real name was Vanessa.
Vanessa, eh... Why shouldn’t I have been a Vanessa too? Deed poll was out of the question, but what about a campaign of omissionsa nd half-truths? Vanessa sang her siren song, but my surname soon muzzled her. Boughanmi, for Christ’s sake, the cross we had to bear; the kind of name to send a CV shimmying into the bin before it’s barely out of its envelope.
Post university, Nessie accepts a job in Japan (largely as a way to escape from 'that man' and from her responsibilities) and the sections set there make for an interesting contrast between ex-pat and immigrant life:
I looked out of the floor-length window at the glittering night sky that left a vapour trail across my heart in a way nothing real or permanent could ever do. If That Man and Mama hadn’t realised they were on holiday in London, that was their own fault – they should’ve been different people. Expats, not immigrants. People who went to parties in penthouses, not wholesalers off Hendon Road. People who could live in another country without learning the language, unbothered by speeches denouncing their ‘ghetto mentality’ on TV.
And the version of the UK that other international friends she meets have in mind and her own lived experience:
A United Kingdom of rolling green hills and shepherds with crooks and north country lasses and Lincolnshire poachers, as foreign to me as it was to the people who were supposed to be enticed by this vision. A country where no one looked like me, and which issued the royal seal of approval to the question ‘But where are you really from?
This is a well-written and nicely structured novel (the use of repetition e.g. of the fish incident, and of whole passages at different times was very effective) and it's a different take on the immigrant experience, particularly the way it actually centres around Mrs Brown and also the contrast to the ex-pat life. Nessie is also a fascinating character, her first person account revealing more to the reader, for example of her unwillingness to confront difficult situations, than she herself realises.
My reservations would be that this is ultimately a more conventional novel than I typically read, and the 'reveal' at the end left me feeling a little cheated.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
Interviews
Interviews with the author, where she explains some her choices, including the decision to make the narrator from a Tunisian background, and the link to her own time in Japan:
https://www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/auth...
https://www.afreada.com/interviews/ol...
https://www.newarab.com/features/othe...
What were we, then, if 'English' was a prize out of our reach and 'Tunisian' was the mask we wore at home? Nothing, really. It was easier to be nothing than to try and fail to be two things.
Other Names, Other Places by Ola Mustapha is published by small independent Fairlight Books "founded in 2017 to publish and promote writers of highly original literary and quality fiction. Since its inception, its authors have been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Republic of Consciousness Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and shortlisted for the Paul Torday Prize, the Diverse Book Awards and the BBC National Short Story Award."
The novel opens in April 2005 in a chapter entitled Reunion. The first person narrator Nesrine, approaching her 30th birthday, is at the death bed of a close friend of her parents, part of the family but not, Mrs Brown, who she has not seen for more than 15 years, since a 'Nakba', a catastrophe, led Mrs Brown and her parents to part company, and also contributed to the disintegration of her parents marriage:
When I thought back to those days, it was the image of the fish, of all things, that niggled away at me. A big silver fish lying on a chopping board. Mama screaming and screaming. A doctor dragging her along by her hair... Me and Sherine aged four and eight (or were we five and nine?) crouched by the door. Sherine fumbling to cover my eyes and ears, saying ‘Shhh, shhh,’ like it was me making that racket. You huddled in the living room with our father, whispering, ‘Don’t worry, don’t worry.’
I wanted to ask you what really happened that day, but I didn’t. It was only a riddle, not the main catastrophe. Certainly not life and death.
We talked about other things. Your children’s children: the neat symmetry of your daughter’s two boys and your son’s two girls. Sherine’s job; my lack of one. Your time in America and my time in Japan. We kept our discussion of my parents limited to the ungarnished facts.
The novel is then Nesrene recalling her life story, and addressed to Mrs Brown (who will never read it). She came to England in 1979, aged 3, from Tunisia with her mother and sister Sherine, to join their father:
I remember the kitchen but not the aeroplane. As if Mama teleported us from Tunis to Finsbury Park. We materialised in a kitchen on the top floor of a dark house, where a strange man greeted us. He had a moustache. He looked like a magician. He said, in a voice that made the air vibrate, ‘Welcome, my darlings.’
‘Who’s that man?’ I whispered to Mama, trying to hide behind her. Laughing, she said, ‘It’s Baba, of course – don’t be so silly, say hello to him properly.’
Whether or not because of the strangeness of this meeting, we never learned to call him ‘Baba’ or anything else. To us he was always just ‘That Man’ or ‘him’.
The novel is strong on identity as an immigrant, neither wholly English nor wholly Tunisian, her parents rejecting the culture to which they had brought her:
So who was I before you named me? Susu at home with the family, Nesrine on paper, Nazerene or Nes-Rhine at school. A calamity – not like Nessie, the name you gifted me. Nessie was a different kind of girl: neat and friendly, she rhymed with Jessie; even people in England couldn’t mess her up. Sherine adopted her, though That Man and Mama hung on stubbornly to Susu. Nessie even had a twin, a girl in my class whose real name was Vanessa.
Vanessa, eh... Why shouldn’t I have been a Vanessa too? Deed poll was out of the question, but what about a campaign of omissionsa nd half-truths? Vanessa sang her siren song, but my surname soon muzzled her. Boughanmi, for Christ’s sake, the cross we had to bear; the kind of name to send a CV shimmying into the bin before it’s barely out of its envelope.
Post university, Nessie accepts a job in Japan (largely as a way to escape from 'that man' and from her responsibilities) and the sections set there make for an interesting contrast between ex-pat and immigrant life:
I looked out of the floor-length window at the glittering night sky that left a vapour trail across my heart in a way nothing real or permanent could ever do. If That Man and Mama hadn’t realised they were on holiday in London, that was their own fault – they should’ve been different people. Expats, not immigrants. People who went to parties in penthouses, not wholesalers off Hendon Road. People who could live in another country without learning the language, unbothered by speeches denouncing their ‘ghetto mentality’ on TV.
And the version of the UK that other international friends she meets have in mind and her own lived experience:
A United Kingdom of rolling green hills and shepherds with crooks and north country lasses and Lincolnshire poachers, as foreign to me as it was to the people who were supposed to be enticed by this vision. A country where no one looked like me, and which issued the royal seal of approval to the question ‘But where are you really from?
This is a well-written and nicely structured novel (the use of repetition e.g. of the fish incident, and of whole passages at different times was very effective) and it's a different take on the immigrant experience, particularly the way it actually centres around Mrs Brown and also the contrast to the ex-pat life. Nessie is also a fascinating character, her first person account revealing more to the reader, for example of her unwillingness to confront difficult situations, than she herself realises.
My reservations would be that this is ultimately a more conventional novel than I typically read, and the 'reveal' at the end left me feeling a little cheated.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.
Interviews
Interviews with the author, where she explains some her choices, including the decision to make the narrator from a Tunisian background, and the link to her own time in Japan:
https://www.fairlightbooks.co.uk/auth...
https://www.afreada.com/interviews/ol...
https://www.newarab.com/features/othe...
September 8, 2023
I'm not sure what got me so engaged. There's something to the voice that's crackling with some sort of an irreverent energy that that immediately appealed to me. The novel did get a bit of a slog in the last third, but everything preceding the move to Japan - the immigrant experience, gender politics, family matters (and I can't stand novels about that), race relations, etc. - was sparkling with verve. The final reveal added another layer to top off it all.
August 6, 2023
Other Names, Other places starts with Nessie, a young girl from Tunisia now living in London, narrating her life to Mrs. Brown - a family friend who disappeared suddenly. Voice of this young girl gives a unique perspective of distancing herself from her own story while providing an observational commentary. While narrating, there is ambiguity in parsing relationships, happenstances as its all seen and interpreted by a very young girl. As it makes the story a little unreliable, it is what the young girl experiences and everything that is left off, feels slightly open ended. It is believable, as this story works as both recollection and narration, details do tend to miss. I particularly found this enjoyable for simple reason that our memories are porous, our perception of world around us is incomplete and our deductions aren't always the right one.
The section of the book where Nessie moves to Japan reads like a completely different book - her thoughts aren't scattered as much, there is restraint in her view and the subtle weariness she feels - a feeling that all grown ups have and with her background, its a little more than ordinary. Though I attribute the shifting tone to Nessie growing up, some of her choices she makes along the way, does make one wonder. At times, the intent - an inner monologue is missing. I liked it for the way it was presented and added layer to her as an individual who is flawed like the rest.
Very strong debut by Ola Mustapha.
Thank you to Netgalley, Fairlight Books for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
The section of the book where Nessie moves to Japan reads like a completely different book - her thoughts aren't scattered as much, there is restraint in her view and the subtle weariness she feels - a feeling that all grown ups have and with her background, its a little more than ordinary. Though I attribute the shifting tone to Nessie growing up, some of her choices she makes along the way, does make one wonder. At times, the intent - an inner monologue is missing. I liked it for the way it was presented and added layer to her as an individual who is flawed like the rest.
Very strong debut by Ola Mustapha.
Thank you to Netgalley, Fairlight Books for providing me with a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2023
Other Names, Other Places is a beautifully written mosaic of identity, love and belonging. It starts out as fragmented child’s memories and tells the story of Nesrine’s life haunted by Mrs Brown, the family friend who seemingly blew up everything.
Mustapha does an amazing job of portraying the workings of a child’s mind. So much so that I found it difficult to follow in some places. Still, Nesrine is, layer by layer, faced with her otherness as a Tunisian immigrant in England, with the cruelty unique to middle schoolers, with her dysfunctional family, with Mrs Brown’s betrayal and I lapped it all up.
Nesrine’s character was so intricate and lifelike and her being in a sort of limbo between making her family happy and running far away hit especially close to home, as well as her relationship with her sister. Her time in Japan was a bit of a lull though, and a step removed from the second person narration addressed to Mrs Brown, which didn’t really come back as strong as it was at the beginning. The final puzzle piece came as a big surprise and took the whole book up a notch.
All in all, a great debut and my warm recommendation.
Thank you to Fairlight Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Mustapha does an amazing job of portraying the workings of a child’s mind. So much so that I found it difficult to follow in some places. Still, Nesrine is, layer by layer, faced with her otherness as a Tunisian immigrant in England, with the cruelty unique to middle schoolers, with her dysfunctional family, with Mrs Brown’s betrayal and I lapped it all up.
Nesrine’s character was so intricate and lifelike and her being in a sort of limbo between making her family happy and running far away hit especially close to home, as well as her relationship with her sister. Her time in Japan was a bit of a lull though, and a step removed from the second person narration addressed to Mrs Brown, which didn’t really come back as strong as it was at the beginning. The final puzzle piece came as a big surprise and took the whole book up a notch.
All in all, a great debut and my warm recommendation.
Thank you to Fairlight Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 10, 2023
The characters in this novel were so real to me, I briefly forgot it was fiction. The book is written in the voice of Nesrine as she reflects on her life and a particular mystery from her childhood. She addresses Mrs. Brown, a friend of the family who abruptly disappeared from her life. The narrative is somewhat disjointed, following the thoughts of Nesrine. There is much left unsaid in the family and Nesrine's memories are incomplete and unreliable.
Ola Mustapha has mastered the art of showing, not telling. As the book continues and you learn more facets of the family relationships, you understand what might have happened. Only at the very end do you begin to have a complete picture. The storytelling is masterful. After finishing, I immediately wanted to do a reread to catch all that I might have missed.
Themes:
The immigrant experience is an important theme of the first half as Nesrine, her sister, and her mother left Tunisia to join her father in London. The second half shows a different immigrant experience when she leaves the UK for Japan where she is mostly involved with the "expat" community.
Family dynamics
Relationships
Mental health
Many thanks to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Ola Mustapha has mastered the art of showing, not telling. As the book continues and you learn more facets of the family relationships, you understand what might have happened. Only at the very end do you begin to have a complete picture. The storytelling is masterful. After finishing, I immediately wanted to do a reread to catch all that I might have missed.
Themes:
The immigrant experience is an important theme of the first half as Nesrine, her sister, and her mother left Tunisia to join her father in London. The second half shows a different immigrant experience when she leaves the UK for Japan where she is mostly involved with the "expat" community.
Family dynamics
Relationships
Mental health
Many thanks to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
November 29, 2025
Ola Mustapha’s debut novel explores the impact of immigration, truth and lies on family dynamics. We meet protagonist Nessie at the age of four or five years old on the day she travels from Tunisia to England with her mother and sister. We also meet Mrs. Brown who appears to be in a sort of caregiving role for the family. We know that there is some sort of tension between Mrs. Brown and both of Nessie’s parents that ruined the family, but not why this tension exists.
All of this makes for an intriguing story that is very well-written. There were some turns of phrase about family or just human nature that gave me pause because they were so thought-provoking. However, I can only give this book three stars because I just hated the main character by the end. I didn’t want to, and it surprises me that I had such a strong negative reaction because I certainly don’t need characters to be perfect and can usually get behind someone unlikeable if I can understand them. In this case, though, I just couldn’t stand Nessie by the end. She definitely had an extremely difficult childhood with strange and volatile parents, but I don’t think that entirely justifies being mean to every nice person you meet for 30+ years. Unfortunately, in the many conflicts she had with romantic partners, I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with them that she was selfish and very immature.
Having said this, I would classify this particular 3 star rating as a reaction based one, based on gut feeling rather than a criticism of the book as a whole. This is still an intriguing and well structured story. Just don’t go in expecting characters you’ll love. This would make for an excellent book club discussion!
All of this makes for an intriguing story that is very well-written. There were some turns of phrase about family or just human nature that gave me pause because they were so thought-provoking. However, I can only give this book three stars because I just hated the main character by the end. I didn’t want to, and it surprises me that I had such a strong negative reaction because I certainly don’t need characters to be perfect and can usually get behind someone unlikeable if I can understand them. In this case, though, I just couldn’t stand Nessie by the end. She definitely had an extremely difficult childhood with strange and volatile parents, but I don’t think that entirely justifies being mean to every nice person you meet for 30+ years. Unfortunately, in the many conflicts she had with romantic partners, I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with them that she was selfish and very immature.
Having said this, I would classify this particular 3 star rating as a reaction based one, based on gut feeling rather than a criticism of the book as a whole. This is still an intriguing and well structured story. Just don’t go in expecting characters you’ll love. This would make for an excellent book club discussion!
June 18, 2023
Other Names, Other Places is the debut novel of Ola Mustapha. Written in the second person - a distancing narrative voice which is tricky to pull off successfully - and one which Mustapha uses well here to create narrative tension.
It begins as an immigrant story, a child's voice, a child of Tunisian parents in London, Nessie is a girl stuck between worlds, trying to find her place. The writing in these early sections is richly evocative, and Mustsapha shows a real ear for child thought.
As Nessie grows up she flees Britain, and settles in Japan. This final third of the novel brings into focus the impact her upbringing has had on Nessie - she has some behaviour issues - and brings around a reveal which reverberates back through the novel.
This is a very fine debut, full of excellent writing and marks Mustapha out as a name to watch.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
It begins as an immigrant story, a child's voice, a child of Tunisian parents in London, Nessie is a girl stuck between worlds, trying to find her place. The writing in these early sections is richly evocative, and Mustsapha shows a real ear for child thought.
As Nessie grows up she flees Britain, and settles in Japan. This final third of the novel brings into focus the impact her upbringing has had on Nessie - she has some behaviour issues - and brings around a reveal which reverberates back through the novel.
This is a very fine debut, full of excellent writing and marks Mustapha out as a name to watch.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
June 11, 2023
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This book was incredible; I couldn’t put it down. It’s a really beautiful examination of being an immigrant and growing up in the U.K, but more than that it is an examination of a life. It’s clear that the character of Nesrine is inspired by the author, but every character is equally well-developed and nuanced. The storyline jumps between different times and often foreshadows and self-references, but the main chronology of the story is always easy to follow. This structure builds suspense and continually propels the story forward, making for a really interesting read. The story is so richly written and full of life, and I felt like I was looking through a window into a real family. Just so, so good.
This book was incredible; I couldn’t put it down. It’s a really beautiful examination of being an immigrant and growing up in the U.K, but more than that it is an examination of a life. It’s clear that the character of Nesrine is inspired by the author, but every character is equally well-developed and nuanced. The storyline jumps between different times and often foreshadows and self-references, but the main chronology of the story is always easy to follow. This structure builds suspense and continually propels the story forward, making for a really interesting read. The story is so richly written and full of life, and I felt like I was looking through a window into a real family. Just so, so good.
July 4, 2023
Thank you to Fairlight Books and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Rating: ★★★.5/5
I am SO undecided about how I feel towards this book. Written uniquely in a second-person voice, Other Names, Other Places is a curious little peek into the life of a daughter of immigrants. Nessie is a London-raised Tunisian, forever caught between cultures upon the backdrop of classic tumultuous teenage life and bustling London. Her insights and experiences felt piercing, despite the jarring second-person narrative, and you really feel deep empathy for the back-and-forth she experiences; the way in which Nessie is trying to find herself.
The narrative style really threw me off for a majority of the book, and it is a bit of a slow burner with many short chapters. But the book picks up with Nessie moves to Japan: her self-discovery here really speeds up and there’s far more action. I suppose it’s more ‘generally relatable’. While this one wasn’t quite so satisfying to read as others with a more classic writing style, I really appreciated this take on the immigrant experience.
Rating: ★★★.5/5
I am SO undecided about how I feel towards this book. Written uniquely in a second-person voice, Other Names, Other Places is a curious little peek into the life of a daughter of immigrants. Nessie is a London-raised Tunisian, forever caught between cultures upon the backdrop of classic tumultuous teenage life and bustling London. Her insights and experiences felt piercing, despite the jarring second-person narrative, and you really feel deep empathy for the back-and-forth she experiences; the way in which Nessie is trying to find herself.
The narrative style really threw me off for a majority of the book, and it is a bit of a slow burner with many short chapters. But the book picks up with Nessie moves to Japan: her self-discovery here really speeds up and there’s far more action. I suppose it’s more ‘generally relatable’. While this one wasn’t quite so satisfying to read as others with a more classic writing style, I really appreciated this take on the immigrant experience.
June 15, 2023
This is a spoiler-free review of Ola Mustapha's debut novel, 'Other Names, Other Places.' A huge thank you to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for the ARC copy.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the overall writing. The second-person narration made for a slightly jarring opening, but perhaps perfectly sets up the main characters of Nessie and Mrs Brown, and also sets up the struggles of the narrator in coming to terms with her past, family and experiences. I did enjoy the subtle manner in which the author complicates the growing characterisations of all those Nessie encounters, as both a child and an "adult" (a term shakingly contested in the novel), and the ending reveal, which though surprising (for me at least), fit in perfectly and shed new light on previous events. Yet, I wish the author had not decided to repeat certain sections again (keyword: snake). While I understand the possible intention, the execution would have worked if the reveal they were leading to was introduced in them via slight changes or additions to those parts.
The plot attempts to explore multiple themes of identity, family, platonic and romantic relationships, secrecy, mental health, and many more via a disjointed coming-of-age story. Unfortunately, some themes seem to fizzle out, existing only as a bridge for plot or thematic progression. The titular theme of naming seems to be stretched too thin, hinting at multiple ideas but never actualising beyond surface-level issues. The other theme of 'home' and 'places' is explored more deeply, but the cultural clashes of the narrator with London lose major significance halfway across the book, and Japan's representation is mostly repressed by the prominence of interactions with non-Japanese characters. While there are minute discussions about not being native to the country, the book fails to use the country in a more meaningful manner, almost making it exchangeable with any other country foreign to the UK and Tunisia.
Another major issue was how unlikeable I found the protagonist as an adult. While I am all for flawed characters, I struggle to reconcile someone who is 'adored' by other characters with someone who relegates throwing ware and breaking framed photos to 'incidents'. The author does seem to indicate the problematic nature of the protagonist, via her sister Sherine, her unnamed manager 'boyfriend' or Laila, yet never gives it any reasonable exploration or conclusion, shifting focus to her panic attacks instead. This for me seems like a step back in mental health representation since even when the idea of individual therapy is bought up, it is overshadowed by the protagonist's almost-justified anger at the manager (by then ex-boyfriend) who brings it up, muddling both notions of mental health and relationships and giving neither the space to breathe (ironically the reason why the manager could not make things work with Nessie).
Overall, it was a book with tons of potential and incredible moments and writing. But in comparison to the growing number of literary works exploring themes of cultural and mixed identity, names, relationships and 'home', the novel pales and seems at times a try-hard, juggling different ideas with each page, but allowing none to come to deserved fruition.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the overall writing. The second-person narration made for a slightly jarring opening, but perhaps perfectly sets up the main characters of Nessie and Mrs Brown, and also sets up the struggles of the narrator in coming to terms with her past, family and experiences. I did enjoy the subtle manner in which the author complicates the growing characterisations of all those Nessie encounters, as both a child and an "adult" (a term shakingly contested in the novel), and the ending reveal, which though surprising (for me at least), fit in perfectly and shed new light on previous events. Yet, I wish the author had not decided to repeat certain sections again (keyword: snake). While I understand the possible intention, the execution would have worked if the reveal they were leading to was introduced in them via slight changes or additions to those parts.
The plot attempts to explore multiple themes of identity, family, platonic and romantic relationships, secrecy, mental health, and many more via a disjointed coming-of-age story. Unfortunately, some themes seem to fizzle out, existing only as a bridge for plot or thematic progression. The titular theme of naming seems to be stretched too thin, hinting at multiple ideas but never actualising beyond surface-level issues. The other theme of 'home' and 'places' is explored more deeply, but the cultural clashes of the narrator with London lose major significance halfway across the book, and Japan's representation is mostly repressed by the prominence of interactions with non-Japanese characters. While there are minute discussions about not being native to the country, the book fails to use the country in a more meaningful manner, almost making it exchangeable with any other country foreign to the UK and Tunisia.
Another major issue was how unlikeable I found the protagonist as an adult. While I am all for flawed characters, I struggle to reconcile someone who is 'adored' by other characters with someone who relegates throwing ware and breaking framed photos to 'incidents'. The author does seem to indicate the problematic nature of the protagonist, via her sister Sherine, her unnamed manager 'boyfriend' or Laila, yet never gives it any reasonable exploration or conclusion, shifting focus to her panic attacks instead. This for me seems like a step back in mental health representation since even when the idea of individual therapy is bought up, it is overshadowed by the protagonist's almost-justified anger at the manager (by then ex-boyfriend) who brings it up, muddling both notions of mental health and relationships and giving neither the space to breathe (ironically the reason why the manager could not make things work with Nessie).
Overall, it was a book with tons of potential and incredible moments and writing. But in comparison to the growing number of literary works exploring themes of cultural and mixed identity, names, relationships and 'home', the novel pales and seems at times a try-hard, juggling different ideas with each page, but allowing none to come to deserved fruition.
June 22, 2023
Gracias a Netgalley y Fairlight Books por facilitarme una copia digital de este libro para su lectura.
Other Names, Other Places es la novela debut de la escritora Ola Mustapha. Ola nació en Egipto, creció en Reino Unido y ha vivido en Japón. Estas experiencias se ven reflejadas, sin duda, en su obra. Aparte de la inmigración, se trata los temas de la familia, los secretos familiares, la infidelidad, la identidad y la salud mental.
Aquí se narra la historia de Nesrine, AKA Nessie, AKA Usu, inmigrante tunesina en Reino Unido, junto a sus padres, hermana y a Mrs. Brown, AKA Genevieve, amiga de la familia, la cual desaparece de sus vidas de forma inesperada e inexplicada. Esta ausencia, junto a otros hechos que ocurren en su infancia y que ella no comprende debido a su corta edad, tienen sus consecuencias en la vida de la protagonista. El asunto de los nombres, más allá del título, está poco explotado, se le podía sacar más partido.
En un primer momento me llamaron la atención tanto el título como la portada, puesto que se ajustan bien a la intención del libro. Luego, me vi sumergida en una historia coming-of-age, bien escrita, bien desarrollada, que interesa y atrapa.
A pesar de que Nasrine, no es un personaje particularmente gustable, su historia intriga y atrapa, puesto que va más allá de la, cada vez más típica, narración de adaptación de inmigrantes. La presencia y, sobre todo, la desaparición de Mrs Brown, le da un plus de misterio que la distingue entre otras obras de su tipo.
Destaco la narración en segunda persona y la estructura circular de la novela. La primera, porque la hace más íntima, y la segunda porque le da un cierre a la tensión narrativa que va en aumento a lo largo de la obra. Si bien, creo que al final del libro, cuando vuelve a retomar algunas anécdotas del principio para, de alguna forma explicarlas, alarga demasiado esta tensión antes mencionada.
En la parte central Nasrine nos cuenta los primeros años de su vida como inmigrante en Reino Unido, su paso por la universidad y los años pasados en Japón. Particularmente la parte de Japón es la que más me ha gustado porque es donde se ve las deficiencias que el personaje tiene a raíz de su infancia y adolescencia.
Mi personaje preferido, es Sherine, por cómo ejerce de hermana mayor, protectora, y cómo lucha por la libertad de elección de la menor. En cuanto al padre, no tiene más recorrido, sigue los cánones de comportamiento propios de su sexo masculino, padre de familia musulmán.
Por último, la “sorpresa” final es algo que se iba viendo venir, que la autora tardó mucho en desvelar y que le da otra visión a la madre y a algunos pasajes de la historia.
En conclusión, recomendada para quien le gusten las historias de adaptación de inmigrantes en otros países, los libros de iniciación y los secretos familiares
Other Names, Other Places is the debut novel by writer Ola Mustapha. Ola was born in Egypt, grew up in the UK and has lived in Japan. These experiences are undoubtedly reflected in her work. Apart from immigration, the themes of family, family secrets, infidelity, identity and mental health are dealt with.
It tells the story of Nesrine, aka Nessie, aka Usu, a Tunisian immigrant to the UK, along with her parents, sister and family friend Mrs Brown,aka Genevieve, who unexpectedly and unexplainedly disappears from their lives. This absence, along with other events that occur in her childhood and which she does not understand due to her young age, have consequences in the life of the protagonist. The issue of names, beyond the title, is not exploited very much, and could have been exploited more.
At first, both the title and the cover caught my attention, as they fit well with the intention of the book. Then I found myself immersed in a coming-of-age story, well-written, well-developed, interesting and gripping.
Although Nasrine is not a particularly likeable character, her story intrigues and grips, as it goes beyond the increasingly typical immigrant adaptation narrative. The presence and, above all, the disappearance of Mrs Brown, gives it an extra mystery that sets it apart from other works of its kind.
I highlight the second-person narration and the circular structure of the novel. The first, because it makes it more intimate, and the second because it gives closure to the narrative tension that builds throughout the work. However, I think that at the end of the book, when she returns to some anecdotes from the beginning in order to explain them in some way, she prolongs the aforementioned tension too much.
In the middle part Nasrine tells us about her early life as an immigrant in the UK, her time at university and the years spent in Japan. I particularly liked the part about Japan the most because it is where we can see the deficiencies that the character has as a result of her childhood and adolescence.
My favourite character is Sherine, because of how she acts as the older, protective sister, and how she fights for the younger one's freedom of choice. As for the father, he has no further to go, he follows the canons of behaviour typical of his male sex, a Muslim father of a family.
Finally, the final "surprise" is something that I could see coming, which the author took a long time to reveal and which gives a different view of the mother and some passages of the story.
In conclusion, it is recommended for those who like stories of immigrants adapting to other countries, books of coming-of-age and family secrets.
Other Names, Other Places es la novela debut de la escritora Ola Mustapha. Ola nació en Egipto, creció en Reino Unido y ha vivido en Japón. Estas experiencias se ven reflejadas, sin duda, en su obra. Aparte de la inmigración, se trata los temas de la familia, los secretos familiares, la infidelidad, la identidad y la salud mental.
Aquí se narra la historia de Nesrine, AKA Nessie, AKA Usu, inmigrante tunesina en Reino Unido, junto a sus padres, hermana y a Mrs. Brown, AKA Genevieve, amiga de la familia, la cual desaparece de sus vidas de forma inesperada e inexplicada. Esta ausencia, junto a otros hechos que ocurren en su infancia y que ella no comprende debido a su corta edad, tienen sus consecuencias en la vida de la protagonista. El asunto de los nombres, más allá del título, está poco explotado, se le podía sacar más partido.
En un primer momento me llamaron la atención tanto el título como la portada, puesto que se ajustan bien a la intención del libro. Luego, me vi sumergida en una historia coming-of-age, bien escrita, bien desarrollada, que interesa y atrapa.
A pesar de que Nasrine, no es un personaje particularmente gustable, su historia intriga y atrapa, puesto que va más allá de la, cada vez más típica, narración de adaptación de inmigrantes. La presencia y, sobre todo, la desaparición de Mrs Brown, le da un plus de misterio que la distingue entre otras obras de su tipo.
Destaco la narración en segunda persona y la estructura circular de la novela. La primera, porque la hace más íntima, y la segunda porque le da un cierre a la tensión narrativa que va en aumento a lo largo de la obra. Si bien, creo que al final del libro, cuando vuelve a retomar algunas anécdotas del principio para, de alguna forma explicarlas, alarga demasiado esta tensión antes mencionada.
En la parte central Nasrine nos cuenta los primeros años de su vida como inmigrante en Reino Unido, su paso por la universidad y los años pasados en Japón. Particularmente la parte de Japón es la que más me ha gustado porque es donde se ve las deficiencias que el personaje tiene a raíz de su infancia y adolescencia.
Mi personaje preferido, es Sherine, por cómo ejerce de hermana mayor, protectora, y cómo lucha por la libertad de elección de la menor. En cuanto al padre, no tiene más recorrido, sigue los cánones de comportamiento propios de su sexo masculino, padre de familia musulmán.
Por último, la “sorpresa” final es algo que se iba viendo venir, que la autora tardó mucho en desvelar y que le da otra visión a la madre y a algunos pasajes de la historia.
En conclusión, recomendada para quien le gusten las historias de adaptación de inmigrantes en otros países, los libros de iniciación y los secretos familiares
Other Names, Other Places is the debut novel by writer Ola Mustapha. Ola was born in Egypt, grew up in the UK and has lived in Japan. These experiences are undoubtedly reflected in her work. Apart from immigration, the themes of family, family secrets, infidelity, identity and mental health are dealt with.
It tells the story of Nesrine, aka Nessie, aka Usu, a Tunisian immigrant to the UK, along with her parents, sister and family friend Mrs Brown,aka Genevieve, who unexpectedly and unexplainedly disappears from their lives. This absence, along with other events that occur in her childhood and which she does not understand due to her young age, have consequences in the life of the protagonist. The issue of names, beyond the title, is not exploited very much, and could have been exploited more.
At first, both the title and the cover caught my attention, as they fit well with the intention of the book. Then I found myself immersed in a coming-of-age story, well-written, well-developed, interesting and gripping.
Although Nasrine is not a particularly likeable character, her story intrigues and grips, as it goes beyond the increasingly typical immigrant adaptation narrative. The presence and, above all, the disappearance of Mrs Brown, gives it an extra mystery that sets it apart from other works of its kind.
I highlight the second-person narration and the circular structure of the novel. The first, because it makes it more intimate, and the second because it gives closure to the narrative tension that builds throughout the work. However, I think that at the end of the book, when she returns to some anecdotes from the beginning in order to explain them in some way, she prolongs the aforementioned tension too much.
In the middle part Nasrine tells us about her early life as an immigrant in the UK, her time at university and the years spent in Japan. I particularly liked the part about Japan the most because it is where we can see the deficiencies that the character has as a result of her childhood and adolescence.
My favourite character is Sherine, because of how she acts as the older, protective sister, and how she fights for the younger one's freedom of choice. As for the father, he has no further to go, he follows the canons of behaviour typical of his male sex, a Muslim father of a family.
Finally, the final "surprise" is something that I could see coming, which the author took a long time to reveal and which gives a different view of the mother and some passages of the story.
In conclusion, it is recommended for those who like stories of immigrants adapting to other countries, books of coming-of-age and family secrets.
June 21, 2023
Ola Mustapha’s debut novel, Other Names, Other Places, is a captivating coming-of-age tale that follows Nesrine, a Tunisian immigrant living in the UK. Written in the second person, the story unfolds as a heartfelt conversation between Nesrine (also known as Nessie) and Mrs. Brown, a family friend and former neighbor from years ago. Through this conversation, Nessie recounts her entire life, immersing the reader in her evocative narrative.
The title and cover of the novel are just as intriguing as the story itself. From the outset, Mustapha’s melancholic prose transports us to Nessie’s past, exploring her formative years. She comes from a dysfunctional family with a distant father, an aloof mother, and an older sister, leaving Nessie without any close bonds within her household.
As the narrative progresses, Nessie gradually unveils fragmented pieces of her memory, attempting to reconstruct her past. We witness her journey through different stages of life, from childhood to adulthood, as she becomes an expatriate in Tokyo. Mustapha candidly portrays Nessie’s struggles as an immigrant child who struggles to fit in.
Skillfully navigating through various themes such as family dynamics, immigrant challenges, parental expectations, and infidelity, Mustapha presents this multi-layered story in the form of a journal. She adeptly reveals subtle details throughout the narrative, holding the reader’s attention as they traverse three countries: the UK, Tunisia, and Japan. The cultural differences between these settings are vividly depicted.
If you enjoy slow-paced, coming-of-age stories that revolve around complex relationships, I recommend picking up Other Names, Other Places.
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wordsopedia Rating 3.5/5
The title and cover of the novel are just as intriguing as the story itself. From the outset, Mustapha’s melancholic prose transports us to Nessie’s past, exploring her formative years. She comes from a dysfunctional family with a distant father, an aloof mother, and an older sister, leaving Nessie without any close bonds within her household.
As the narrative progresses, Nessie gradually unveils fragmented pieces of her memory, attempting to reconstruct her past. We witness her journey through different stages of life, from childhood to adulthood, as she becomes an expatriate in Tokyo. Mustapha candidly portrays Nessie’s struggles as an immigrant child who struggles to fit in.
Skillfully navigating through various themes such as family dynamics, immigrant challenges, parental expectations, and infidelity, Mustapha presents this multi-layered story in the form of a journal. She adeptly reveals subtle details throughout the narrative, holding the reader’s attention as they traverse three countries: the UK, Tunisia, and Japan. The cultural differences between these settings are vividly depicted.
If you enjoy slow-paced, coming-of-age stories that revolve around complex relationships, I recommend picking up Other Names, Other Places.
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wordsopedia Rating 3.5/5
April 25, 2025
#ReadAroundTheWorld #Tunisia
This is a family drama set in England about a family who had emigrated from Tunisia. The author was born in London and spent some of her childhood growing up in Egypt.
The story begins in 2005 with Nessie (Nesrine), at the deathbed of a family friend Mrs Brown, who she has not seen for 15 years since the “Nakba” or catastrophe which caused Mrs Brown to leave and disrupted her parents’ marriage. Nesrene then goes over her life story, recounting it as if for Mrs Brown.
Nessie arrived in England with her mother and sister, from Tunisia, at age 3, to join their father who was already there. From that point on he is always “that man”, never Baba or father. Nessie recounts the difficulty of fitting in at school, of trying to juggle the cultural expectations of both her parents and her schoolmates. She writes, “‘English’ being a code for the diseases he worried we’d catch in this country: promiscuity, fecklessness, atheism, cold-heartedness, lack of family feeling. ‘Don’t you dare think you’re English!’ he’d say to me and Sherine whenever we broke one of his arbitrary rules. He should’ve saved his breath – we knew full well we weren’t lucky enough to be ‘English’.
What were we, then, if 'English' was a prize out of our reach and 'Tunisian' was the mask we wore at home? Nothing, really. It was easier to be nothing than to try and fail to be two things.”
Mrs Brown enters their life, a charismatic woman who soothes all of their hurts and helps them negotiate the minefield of both their family and the culture outside it, until a dramatic betrayal hastens her exodus.
The book then shifts to Nessie’s time in Japan as an adult. I’m not sure that this section quite connects to the rest of the story. It ends with a banger of a reveal. Definitely an intriguing read and a strong debut.
This is a family drama set in England about a family who had emigrated from Tunisia. The author was born in London and spent some of her childhood growing up in Egypt.
The story begins in 2005 with Nessie (Nesrine), at the deathbed of a family friend Mrs Brown, who she has not seen for 15 years since the “Nakba” or catastrophe which caused Mrs Brown to leave and disrupted her parents’ marriage. Nesrene then goes over her life story, recounting it as if for Mrs Brown.
Nessie arrived in England with her mother and sister, from Tunisia, at age 3, to join their father who was already there. From that point on he is always “that man”, never Baba or father. Nessie recounts the difficulty of fitting in at school, of trying to juggle the cultural expectations of both her parents and her schoolmates. She writes, “‘English’ being a code for the diseases he worried we’d catch in this country: promiscuity, fecklessness, atheism, cold-heartedness, lack of family feeling. ‘Don’t you dare think you’re English!’ he’d say to me and Sherine whenever we broke one of his arbitrary rules. He should’ve saved his breath – we knew full well we weren’t lucky enough to be ‘English’.
What were we, then, if 'English' was a prize out of our reach and 'Tunisian' was the mask we wore at home? Nothing, really. It was easier to be nothing than to try and fail to be two things.”
Mrs Brown enters their life, a charismatic woman who soothes all of their hurts and helps them negotiate the minefield of both their family and the culture outside it, until a dramatic betrayal hastens her exodus.
The book then shifts to Nessie’s time in Japan as an adult. I’m not sure that this section quite connects to the rest of the story. It ends with a banger of a reveal. Definitely an intriguing read and a strong debut.
May 12, 2023
‘Other Names, Other Places’ is beautifully melancholic. Not a word is out of place, the style is unique, and I was shocked to learn it's a debut novel.
It’s told in the second person, addressing a ‘you’ that we know is Genevieve Brown. Genevieve was a constant presence in the narrator’s dysfunctional childhood until, suddenly, she wasn’t. When Nessie, the main character, finally makes contact with Genevieve again, she rummages through her memories in an attempt to make sense of her childhood. As Nessie rehashes what it meant to be an immigrant in London, the collapse of her parents’ marriage, and the emotional abuse dealt by her father, she is forced to confront the circumstances that have shaped her as an adult.
The stream-of-consciousness-style narrative is shot through with perfectly realised revelations. With each chapter Nessie’s remembrances are peeled away in layers, each story more fully understood than the last. Likewise, the sense of melancholy builds until it crescendoes with Nessie’s final revelation to Genevieve.
Mustapha has constructed this novel perfectly, balancing with ease and clarity both Nessie’s childhood and her adulthood. Even the juxtaposition of Nessie’s life as a Tunisian immigrant in London and an English expat in Tokyo is perfectly achieved: the senses of liminality and hypocrisy are subtly infused into the narrative.
I can’t wait to read any of Mustapha’s future publications!
It’s told in the second person, addressing a ‘you’ that we know is Genevieve Brown. Genevieve was a constant presence in the narrator’s dysfunctional childhood until, suddenly, she wasn’t. When Nessie, the main character, finally makes contact with Genevieve again, she rummages through her memories in an attempt to make sense of her childhood. As Nessie rehashes what it meant to be an immigrant in London, the collapse of her parents’ marriage, and the emotional abuse dealt by her father, she is forced to confront the circumstances that have shaped her as an adult.
The stream-of-consciousness-style narrative is shot through with perfectly realised revelations. With each chapter Nessie’s remembrances are peeled away in layers, each story more fully understood than the last. Likewise, the sense of melancholy builds until it crescendoes with Nessie’s final revelation to Genevieve.
Mustapha has constructed this novel perfectly, balancing with ease and clarity both Nessie’s childhood and her adulthood. Even the juxtaposition of Nessie’s life as a Tunisian immigrant in London and an English expat in Tokyo is perfectly achieved: the senses of liminality and hypocrisy are subtly infused into the narrative.
I can’t wait to read any of Mustapha’s future publications!
July 6, 2023
Other Names, Other Places is the moving story of Nesrine, a child born of Tunisian parents who grew up in London never quite belonging anywhere, or to anyone.
There is not much that is entirely reliable in her life, least of all her cultural identity. And those shifting sands are exemplified by her name - officially Nesrine, but Nessie to her friends and Susu to her family.
Nessie cannot even find a safe home in her family, despite having parents and an older sister. The impact of her abusive father and her distant family relationships becomes all too apparent in the behaviour of the adult that she grows into.
Nessie's story is told in the form of a letter to Mrs Brown, their neighbour when she was growing up, who left a huge impact on her psyche. Mrs Brown's subsequent disappearance from their lives also left an impact, the latter rather less positive than the former.
This is a sad book in many ways, because Nessie's story is one that is often sad. The twist at the end does a good job of explaining much of what seems inexplicable to Nessie as a young child witnessing events.
For someone who enjoys multicultural stories and coming of age stories, this debut has a lot to recommend it. There are some parts that seemed either unnecessary or confusing, but overall I enjoyed it. This is an interesting book and a good first effort from Ola Mustapha. It gets 3.5 stars from me.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
There is not much that is entirely reliable in her life, least of all her cultural identity. And those shifting sands are exemplified by her name - officially Nesrine, but Nessie to her friends and Susu to her family.
Nessie cannot even find a safe home in her family, despite having parents and an older sister. The impact of her abusive father and her distant family relationships becomes all too apparent in the behaviour of the adult that she grows into.
Nessie's story is told in the form of a letter to Mrs Brown, their neighbour when she was growing up, who left a huge impact on her psyche. Mrs Brown's subsequent disappearance from their lives also left an impact, the latter rather less positive than the former.
This is a sad book in many ways, because Nessie's story is one that is often sad. The twist at the end does a good job of explaining much of what seems inexplicable to Nessie as a young child witnessing events.
For someone who enjoys multicultural stories and coming of age stories, this debut has a lot to recommend it. There are some parts that seemed either unnecessary or confusing, but overall I enjoyed it. This is an interesting book and a good first effort from Ola Mustapha. It gets 3.5 stars from me.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
June 21, 2024
I liked the idea of the book more than the book itself. I must admit to liking the twist at the very end, something entirely unexpected and intelligent. This last bit almost swayed my reaction to the book, but on the whole it just made me glad I hadn’t abandoned the book midway.
Our lead protagonist is not a very likeable character. She isn’t meant to be. The narrative style goes back and forth in time. There is a pivotal scene that we keep coming back to, each time with more detail.
The family in the centre of everything moved to London and tried to lead a life an immigrant would be happy with. The dysfunction within their ranks soon causes fissures to emerge, something that has lasting effects on everyone involved.
The entire book feels clever, but a little too long for me. I would still recommend this book despite not enjoying my own reading experience solely because of the way everything settles into the plot and why the author chose this particular manner to write it in.
I sometimes like books where I may not like the individual characters but it was a little more than I expected here. There was no one I wanted to follow to see how they fare. I would pick up another book by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Our lead protagonist is not a very likeable character. She isn’t meant to be. The narrative style goes back and forth in time. There is a pivotal scene that we keep coming back to, each time with more detail.
The family in the centre of everything moved to London and tried to lead a life an immigrant would be happy with. The dysfunction within their ranks soon causes fissures to emerge, something that has lasting effects on everyone involved.
The entire book feels clever, but a little too long for me. I would still recommend this book despite not enjoying my own reading experience solely because of the way everything settles into the plot and why the author chose this particular manner to write it in.
I sometimes like books where I may not like the individual characters but it was a little more than I expected here. There was no one I wanted to follow to see how they fare. I would pick up another book by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
June 5, 2023
“Truth is a luxury for people who only have one identity”
The book is impactful and evocative. It is written in second person. But feels more like reading a journal though with all that reminiscing memories of childhood and adulthood, there are some deep and thought provoking conversations as well. It is a multilayered story. There are cultures differences and to get to know the truth, you have to peel off the layer one by one. The revelations at the end will shook you.
With evocative memories, dysfunctional family, mystery, hidden truths, secrets and certain revelations, the author has encapsulated the experience of being an immigrant in London. And shared the cultural differences throughout the story. The writing is compelling and mysterious. This book is unusual and different. I haven’t read anything like this before. I would definitely recommend it.
•Tunisian immigrant in London
•Cultural differences
•Love and heartbreak
•Hidden Truths
•Family secrets
•Double identity
•Compelling writing
•Multilayered story
•Coming of age
•Revelations at the end
Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
The book is impactful and evocative. It is written in second person. But feels more like reading a journal though with all that reminiscing memories of childhood and adulthood, there are some deep and thought provoking conversations as well. It is a multilayered story. There are cultures differences and to get to know the truth, you have to peel off the layer one by one. The revelations at the end will shook you.
With evocative memories, dysfunctional family, mystery, hidden truths, secrets and certain revelations, the author has encapsulated the experience of being an immigrant in London. And shared the cultural differences throughout the story. The writing is compelling and mysterious. This book is unusual and different. I haven’t read anything like this before. I would definitely recommend it.
•Tunisian immigrant in London
•Cultural differences
•Love and heartbreak
•Hidden Truths
•Family secrets
•Double identity
•Compelling writing
•Multilayered story
•Coming of age
•Revelations at the end
Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book.
Read
November 4, 2023When I first cracked open "Other Names, Other Places" by Ola Mustapha, I had no idea what an incredible literary adventure awaited me. As a reader, I found myself immediately drawn into the vibrant world of London, where our protagonist, Nessie (or Susu, or Nessie - take your pick), navigates the tumultuous waters of her multicultural identity.
I saw myself in Nessie's shoes, feeling that eternal tug-of-war between my heritage and the culture that surrounds me. Her struggle to belong felt like a real-life "Bridget Jones's Diary" with a multicultural twist, and I couldn't help but think of my own journey through life's maze of identity.
With family secrets resurfacing, I eagerly awaited revelations, much like the climax of a favorite mystery novel. "Other Names, Other Places" is a captivating exploration of cultural complexity and family dynamics, offering a thought-provoking, immersive experience with a personal touch.
In the end, this book was both enlightening and entertaining, leaving me with a newfound appreciation for the complexities of identity. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a relatable, captivating narrative that will have you reflecting on your own journey.
I saw myself in Nessie's shoes, feeling that eternal tug-of-war between my heritage and the culture that surrounds me. Her struggle to belong felt like a real-life "Bridget Jones's Diary" with a multicultural twist, and I couldn't help but think of my own journey through life's maze of identity.
With family secrets resurfacing, I eagerly awaited revelations, much like the climax of a favorite mystery novel. "Other Names, Other Places" is a captivating exploration of cultural complexity and family dynamics, offering a thought-provoking, immersive experience with a personal touch.
In the end, this book was both enlightening and entertaining, leaving me with a newfound appreciation for the complexities of identity. It's a must-read for anyone seeking a relatable, captivating narrative that will have you reflecting on your own journey.
June 4, 2023
Other Names, Other Places starts with a single, fragmented childhood memory, and spirals out from there. It's a coming of age story of family, trauma and immigrant experience.
Nessie is a narrator with a complicated relationship with secrets and the truth. As a novel written in second person, her voice is wonderfully evasive, struggling to commit to a linear timeline or make sense of things that have happened. It's this underlying caution that really draws you into her story: she seems such a deeply realised character.
A compelling debut novel about family and the people who shape us.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
Nessie is a narrator with a complicated relationship with secrets and the truth. As a novel written in second person, her voice is wonderfully evasive, struggling to commit to a linear timeline or make sense of things that have happened. It's this underlying caution that really draws you into her story: she seems such a deeply realised character.
A compelling debut novel about family and the people who shape us.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
August 18, 2023
I appreciated Nessie’s unique voice/POV in Other Names, Other Faces. I did find the story a bit hard to follow as it moved around. I was hoping there would be an audiobook version as it might have been an easier experience listening. I’ll definitely keep my eye out on this author for future releases!
*Thanks to Fairlight books and NetGalley for this review copy.
*Thanks to Fairlight books and NetGalley for this review copy.
Read
August 21, 2023The New Arab meets British Egyptian author Ola Mustapha to talk about her debut novel, on being second-generation North African Arab in Britain and the burden of representation in literature.
Read our review here: https://www.newarab.com/features/othe...
Read our review here: https://www.newarab.com/features/othe...
October 21, 2023
Who am I? What makes me myself? What role in my life plays parents, other people, experiences, personality? The most important skill in your life is to learn to live with yourself. Ola Mustapha successfully showed process of overcoming difficulties finding your own place in the world.
The beginning of the story was a bit sketchy but the second half turned it into undoubtedly valuable read.
The beginning of the story was a bit sketchy but the second half turned it into undoubtedly valuable read.
October 26, 2024
I loved reading this book. It took a while to settle down into her hazy recollections of childhood. I especially enjoyed her observations and the dialogues between Nessie and her friends and boyfriends. I found them very entertaining in contrast to the sad passages where she interacts as an adult with her needy aging parents. Looking forward to reading further works of hers.
June 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the structure and the main character. Lots of family drama and coming of age bits. It was easy to read and very interesting. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!
October 10, 2024
A melancholic book with a not particularly likeable protagonist, but oddly compelling. I came close to putting it aside a few times, but the writing itself was good enough to keep me reading. Overall I found it a bit depressing, but would read more by Mustapha.
August 2, 2023
Brilliant exploration of second generational identity and culture experience with surprising plot twists.
August 22, 2023
Wonderful read, highly recommended!
August 22, 2023
great story, very well written
August 22, 2023
Great story and I can't wait for the next one to come out!
I would highly recommend this book.
I would highly recommend this book.
August 22, 2023
Fantastic read! Very relatable, especially since I grew up in south London! Definitely suggesting this to my family.
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