Kololo Hill

Author Neema Shah
Narrator Aysha Kala
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Run Time 11 hours and 16 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Ethnic groups and multicultural studies, Family life fiction, History, Migration, immigration and emigration, Narrative theme: Displacement, exile, migration, Racism and racial discrimination, Refugees and political asylum, Social and cultural history, Society and Social Sciences.

Listen to a sample

What to expect

From the green hilltops of Kampala, to the terraced houses of London, Neema Shah’s extraordinarily moving debut Kololo Hill explores what it means to leave your home behind, what it takes to start again, and the lengths some will go to protect their loved ones.

'[An] incredible debut' Stylist

'Shah is excellent on the theme of home . . . an absorbing storyteller' – Daily Mail

When you’re left with nothing but your secrets, how do you start again?

Uganda 1972

A devastating decree is issued: all Ugandan Asians must leave the country in ninety days. They must take only what they can carry, give up their money and never return.

For Asha and Pran, married a matter of months, it means abandoning the family business that Pran has worked so hard to save. For his mother, Jaya, it means saying goodbye to the house that has been her home for decades. But violence is escalating in Kampala, and people are disappearing. Will they all make it to safety in Britain and will they be given refuge if they do?

And all the while, a terrible secret about the expulsion hangs over them, threatening to tear the family apart.

Critics Review

An impressive, confident debut about family and survival, against the backdrop of a history that is not written about often enough.

Nikesh Shukla

Devastatingly beautiful . . . every sentence is a revelation.

Nikita Gill, author of The Girl and the Goddess

This is a novel about home, about belonging and exile; a compelling and complex insight into a recent past that still resonates.

Irish Times

Shah explores the chaos and fear of ordinary people’s lives during Amin’s rule, weaving personal stories of love and betrayal into heightening tension and violence . . . nail-biting.

Independent

Utterly heartbreaking and so moving . . . a thoughtful reflection on what home and belonging mean.

Haleh Agar, author of Out of Touch

A moving portrayal of a family uprooted from a life they have worked so hard for. At times devastating, I found myself gripped to this story rooted in our history yet scarily still relevant.

Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City

Kololo Hill offers a glimpse into a terrifying and fascinating period of history. Neema Shah evokes Amin’s Uganda and early 1970s suburban England with both nuance and a fresh and wonderful vivacity. This is a book with a huge amount of heart; I was entirely captured by the stories of Asha, Jaya and Vijay. Their dreams and dilemmas resonate with many of today’s key questions around culture, identity and the places – and people – we can each call ‘home’.

Joanne Sefton, author of The Guilty Friend

A searing, timely, and beautifully written tale of displacement, the meaning of home, and developing identity across generations. I loved it.

Stephanie Scott, author of What's Left Of Me Is Yours

More from the same

Author

A Thread of Light

Narrator

About xigxag

Enjoy the best audiobooks on xigxag, an innovative, user-friendly audiobook platform that makes it easy to find, purchase, and enjoy your favorite books in audio format. xigxag’s flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less – affordable prices and the best audiobook deals with no subscription required. Give the perfect gift with our audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.

xigxag’s commitment to sustainability and ethical practices ensures a guilt-free listening experience from an exceptional digital book platform – an exciting alternative to big tech. Enjoy audiobooks from the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service and a leader in audiobook innovation.

Search effortlessly, read honest audiobook reviews evaluating both the book and the narration, and discover hidden gems. Download or stream top audiobook titles anytime, anywhere and get the best possible listening experience on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Experience the future of audiobooks today.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.

Find your favourite titles