Book Review: Everything is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe

Iryn Tushabe’s debut novel lands solidly, leaving a distinct mark on the African fiction landscape. The Ugandan-Canadian writer captures life in Bigodi village and Kampala town, weaving in snippets of Canada and London living to design a world that feels real and self-assured. The novel is a true coming of age story that takes us on a journey of expansion as the protagonist encounters new people and situations for the first time.

The story follows Aine, an eighteen year old girl who while intellectually more astute than her peers, often finds herself enshrouded in a bubble of naivety from which she has to break free. Aine lives with her Mama and Papa while also attending boarding school a little distance from home. She has only one sibling, her sister Mbabazi whom she loves fiercely. Mbabazi is an accomplished doctor, runner and traveler who is admired by everyone in Aine’s school. Though Mbabazi is over a decade older, the sisters often have achingly honest and tender conversations that further strengthen their bond.

For instance, Mbabazi comes out to Aine, telling her not only that she is kuchu – gay, but that she is in love with her partner Achen, who is also her roommate in Kampala. It is after Mbabazi comes out to her that Aine begins to unravel certain truths about their family. She discovers that Mama has always known that Mbabazi is queer, and had enlisted Reverend Erasmus in Bigodi to help counsel the gay out of her. It is Mama’s failure to accept her for who she is that caused Mbabazi to leave home years earlier and stop visiting.

Shortly after this revelation, Papa dies in a car accident. This loss pushes Aine to chastise Mama for rejecting Mbabazi in favour of her religious beliefs. Her outburst causes a rift between Aine and Mama, pushing Aine to run away from home. Her intention is to seek solace in an estranged uncle’s home, until she discovers yet another family secret; the uncle in question sexually assaulted Mama, which was why he was no longer allowed to visit. Caught in increasingly complex emotional turmoil, Aine changes course, setting off for Kampala where Mbabazi and Achen live.

This solo trip represents her transition from childhood to young adulthood, introducing her to bustling city life, modern home living, and even romance. Though Aine had always been critical of religion – she wrote an unflattering essay about Christianity in the paper which did not go over well with the staff at school – this is the first time she is truly facing the implications of living in an overly religious country with anti-gay laws. She is grappling with the rage and helplessness of bearing witness to queer love that has to express itself in secret safe spaces and build its own family. Added to this is the complexity of Mama who, despite experiencing unbearable grief, continues to choose her religious convictions over speaking to her daughters in their time of shared mourning. Though Aine has avoided writing after her scandalous essay, witnessing the unmistakable love between her sister and another woman against the backdrop of a judgmental, religious country gives her a sense of purpose to tell their story.

There are many lines and quotes within the story that cause the reader to pause and think. The book weaves themes of grief, love, forgiveness, growing up, homosexuality, religion, politics and resilience into the central story in a beautiful, cohesive pattern that makes for an enjoyable read. In an unexpected twist of events, it is the girls’ grandmother who offers solidarity with the loving message sent through a supportive uncle: “Where many people walk, a new path will be cleared.”