Readers are brought back in time to 1972 in the East Africa nation of Uganda. Idi Amin is the President as the book starts, and he is announcing a purging of all South Asian Indians in the country. Amin is of the belief that these foreigners are a drain on the country's resources, taking all of the good jobs and money for themselves. The South Asians have 90 days to leave the country voluntarily.

The story is told from the perspective of Sabine, a young teen who has grown up in a well-to-do Muslim Indian family. Their family is actually made up of Ugandan citizens. Her grandfather arrived in a wave of immigration that took place as the British were building railroad tracks in the area. Since then, the family has built themselves a number of successful businesses. They are so successful that they have hired a number of Africans to work for them in their home.

Sabine's father believes their citizenship will protect the family from the purges, but it quickly becomes clear that the target of the forced migration is all South Asians.

As the 90 days pass Sabine finds disappointment in the reactions of her African friends as they look down on her and even refuse to continue their relationships.

While this is not a story that many teens will be familiar with, I think it is one that will resonate with them. Many of today's teens are aware of global conflict and genocide and forced migration in areas such as Darfur are known to them. This horrible incident in history may be 35 years old, but there are strong parallels.

The writing is also rich as Nanji captures the essence of Indian culture with rich descriptions of clothing, food, and smells. Sabine and her family come alive with emotion throughout the course of the story as they sway from fear, comfort in their own status, and back to fear again. The author does not spare the reader the details of the horrors that took place during the purge.