Uhuru Street: Short Stories

by M.G. Vassanji

Book by Vassanji, M. G.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Africa, Canada

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

Moyez G. Vassanji was born in Kenya and raised in Tanzania. Before coming to Canada in 1978, he attended MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in theoretical nuclear physics. From 1978-1980 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Atomic Energy of Canada, and from 1980 to 1989 he was a research associate at the University of Toronto. During this period he developed a keen interest in medieval Indian literature and history, co-founded and edited a literary magazine (The Toronto South Asian Review, later renamed The Toronto Review of Contemporary Writing Abroad), and began writing stories and a novel. In 1989, with the publication of his first novel, The Gunny Sack, he was invited to spend a season at the International Writing Program of the University of Iowa. That year ended his active career in nuclear physics. His contributions there he considers modest, in algebraic models and high spin states. The fact that he was never tenured he considers a blessing for it freed him to pursue his literary career.

Vassanji is the author of six novels and two collections of short stories. His work has appeared in various countries and several languages. His most recent novel, The Assassin's Song, was short-listed for both the Giller Prize and the Governor-General's Prize for best novel in Canada. It has appeared in the US (Knopf) and India (Penguin) and is scheduled to appear in the UK (Canongate).

His wife, Nurjehan, was born in Tanzania. They have two sons, Anil, and Kabir. He lives in Toronto, and visits Africa and India often.

Awards: Giller Prize, twice; Harbourfront Festival Prize; Commonwealth First Book Prize (Africa); Bressani Prize. Order of Canada.

Reviews

[Missy J · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, but it was hard to connect to the stories and overall, I'm quite disappointed. The author M. G. Vassanji was born in Kenya, raised in Tanzania, is of Indian descent and has immigrated to Canada many years ago. A couple of months ago, I read a book on the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and how he expelled the Indian (Asian) residents of the country, because they were economically successful. Last year, I read the novel Cutting for Stone about Indian expatriates in Ethiopia. So I was quite curious about this book set in Tanzania about its Indian residents.

Unfortunately the vignette-style short stories didn't work for me. This type of writing never really grabs my attention. There were only 2 stories towards the end that really touched me; "Leaving" and "Breaking Loose". Following Tanzania's independence, the government adopted an unfavorable attitude towards its Indian residents whom they also regarded as dominating the economy to the disadvantage of native Tanzanians. Thus many Tanzanian Indians immigrated abroad or even moved back to India. Many stories also focused on the domestic help, dating and matchmaking.

I guess the author managed to capture the atmosphere of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Indians living in East Africa. "Uhuru" means independence in Swahili, which radically rocked their situation in the country. They don't belong to a single place, and their status is quite peculiar, which I thought the author described well.

[Yuvraj Shah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, it came highly recommended - it's a collection of short stories about the indian community in Tanzania, and the effects of indpendence on this community. The stories just lacked depth.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this didn't do much more me. Perfectly well written, but the setting and characters simply didn't speak to me or suck me into the narrative.

[Amyem]

in the library

[shelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed some short stories to dip into...