Plot Summary

All Our Names

Dinaw Mengestu
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All Our Names

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014

Book Brief

Dinaw Mengestu

All Our Names

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2014
Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Uganda, Chicago • 1970s

Publication Year

2014

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu, published in 2014, follows a young man from a small African village who travels to Kampala to study literature amid revolutionary fervor, forming a deep bond with a politically active friend named Isaac. As Isaac becomes more entrenched in the revolution, the narrator flees to the American Midwest, where he navigates an interracial romantic relationship with a social worker named Helen. The book contains depictions of violence and racial discrimination.

Melancholic

Contemplative

Nostalgic

Bittersweet

Mysterious

Reviews & Readership

3.8

5,519 ratings

58%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Dinaw Mengestu's All Our Names is praised for its poignant and nuanced portrayal of identity and displacement, with strong character development and evocative prose. However, some critics feel the dual narrative structure can be disorienting, and certain plot elements lack depth. Overall, it’s a compelling read that powerfully explores the immigrant experience.

Who should read this

Who Should Read All Our Names?

Readers who appreciate All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu are often drawn to profound explorations of identity, political upheaval, and cross-cultural relationships. Fans of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun and Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao will find Mengestu's narrative compelling and thought-provoking.

3.8

5,519 ratings

58%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Uganda, Chicago • 1970s

Publication Year

2014

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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