We Need New Names: A Novel

This book is an excellent portrayal of the struggle of displaced immigrants in the U.S. and at the same time an excellent critique of the typical "African experience" story. The book follows the life of a young girl named Darling as she grows up from living in struggling Zimbabwe to living in Michigan. It is told from Darling's perspective so while the writing may seem simple and straight-forward at times, at the same time it is compelling and her perspective adds a unique experience and insight to the story. I found myself continuously turning the page so that I could see what Darling and her friends would get up to next and at the same time it was not always easy to read the real life hardships that were portrayed in the novel. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read modern African literature and to anyone who is trying to expand their library into new spaces of literature.

The ending makes sense if you're familiar with online book world culture. (Took me 3 years and moving to online book groups during COVID.) Particularly websites and reviewers who focus on animal treatment. Still immersive and thought-provoking until the last few pages even if you have no idea why the author would choose that ending.

This books can be clearly divided into two very distinct eras of Darling's life: Zimbabwe and the U.S. it's about a young girl growing up in a not so child friendly environment and the somewhat innocence she maintains while her country unravels. Like other immigrants all over the world, she moves to another country for a better chance at life, but faces challenges adjusting to the new culture. The dangers she knew at home are different than the dangers she faces as a Black person in America. All the while she must acknowledge that she cannot truly relate to those left at home. She struggles like so many others, defining her role in her new country while maintaining some sort of semblance of her former self.