For many young people, this debut YA novel will put Uganda on the map, and for those aware of Africa's violent conflicts, the author offers some insight into the seeds planted deep in its past. The book unfolds through the third-person perspective of 15-year-old Sabine. It opens on August 6, 1972--the morning after Uganda's president, Idi Amin, has had a dream that "all foreign Indians" must be expelled from the country--and the narrative extends through the 90-day period he gives the Indians to flee. As a man spits at Sabine, who is Ugandan-born but of Indian descent, her best friend, Zena, defends her. "One day you'll see with new eyes," the man replies, a foreshadowing of the pain to follow.Sabine's grandfather, Bapa, came to Uganda from India when British colonials recruited workers to build the Kenya-Uganda Railway. Now Bapa runs a successful farm, and his son, Sabine's father, is a wealthy businessman. Zena and her family work on Bapa's farm. The two girls spend every spare moment together; Bapa calls Sabine and Zena "twin beans of one coffee flower." But the escalating resentment the Ugandans develop toward those of Indian descent begins to affect the girls' friendship. On day 12 of the countdown, Sabine's uncle disappears; on day 29, Zena tells Sabine of her own uncle's plans to arrange Zena's marriage to "a high-ranking official in the army"; and on day 36, Zena tells Sabine, "We have to clear our land . . . You are the child of dandelions." With smooth pacing, African-born author Nanji reveals the inequalities of Ugandan society as they enter Sabine's consciousness. The heroine starts out certain of her father's commitment to stay in Uganda, and grows stronger in her defense of the Indians who come under increasing attack. But her resolve diminishes as the tide of hatred becomes seemingly insurmountable. The author paints a balanced portrait; both Sabine and Zena show their shortcomings as well as their strengths, as do other key characters. There are no easy answers here, and Nanji creates a platform for lively debate about the causes of war, and demonstrates how the actions of today influence the societies of tomorrow.--Jennifer M. Brown