Child of Dandelions

Child of Dandelions
Teen Zone Fiction-Main Level NANJI

Most historical fiction marketed for popular teen consumption, as opposed to taught in school, falls under the history of the United States or parts of Europe. In trying to find a piece of historical fiction with an intense plot, but where you could really learn about something you hadn't known before, I stumbled upon Child of Dandelions.

Child of Dandelions follows Sabine and her family as they navigate through the ninety days given for Indians to leave the country. Sabine deals with changing rules, changing perceptions of friends, and the harsh reality of what is really going on. I really liked this book because it gives teens a perspective that they would probably not get in school. I'm pretty sure there are no other teen fiction books out there about a girls experiences during the Indian Expulsion from Uganda in the 1970s.

While this book in some ways reads like a book about the European Holocaust of Jewry of the 30s and 40s, it is lighter at the beginning and gives the reader an idea of the mix of cultures and boiling situation Uganda was in, after the British left, and about tensions between the native Ugandans and the Indo-Ugandans.

Not too long, not too violent except a few scenes there were kinda scary! Great afterward that discusses the historical context. Overall a great teen book that's offers historical fiction outside the realm of what we are used to!