Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe

I have been sort of casually cataloguing novels I read that are set in different countries, or written by authors from various countries. I think part of being well-read is doing your best to read from across the globe, which is relatively easy to do because so many great works are translated into English. Here, Iryn Tushabe, a Ugandan-Canadian writer, sets her story in Uganda, and I’m sorry to say that this might be the first Ugandan-set novel I’ve read. However, getting to read Everything Is Fine Here is a great introduction to Ugandan culture, and a tender coming-of-age story in a mix of cultures and beliefs.

Everything Is Fine Here is a wonderfully heart-warming book

Aine is thrilled when her sister Mbabazi is finally home, and coming to see her. She adores her older sister, and has been long awaiting this reunion. Mbabazi shows up at Aine’s boarding school to give the Career Day keynote speech – but with her girlfriend, Achen, in tow. In a country where there are strict anti-homosexuality laws, Aine’s long-held fear that Mbabazi is gay moves into the forefront. Not to mention their parents, particularly their mother, a staunch Christian, will not accept this. But Aine loves her sister, and becomes fast friends with Achen, bringing her into their loosely-held secret, and she’ll have to make decisions about how to protect them and where she’ll land in the inevitable family blow-up. Everything Is Fine Here is a wonderfully heart-warming book: the bond between Aine and Mbabazi is just nice to read about. It was a balm to my soul to read about siblings who love each other, who have their spats because of age differences, but who genuinely like and enjoy one another’s company.

There’s a lot of grief and pain in this book; Aine’s final year of boarding school is rocked by multiple events, but there’s also a firm core of Aine knowing what’s important to her, even as she does some exploration. I also really enjoyed the introduction to Ugandan culture; Tushabe weaves in some explanations for those who may be unfamiliar with the languages used. I really enjoyed reading this novel, it was caring and thoughtful, and a good coming-of-age novel about a burgeoning writer and activist.

Originally from Uganda, Iryn Tushabe is a writer and independent journalist based in Saskatchewan, Canada. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Journey Prize, Grain Magazine, and has been shortlisted for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in Briarpatch, Prairies North, and on the Commonwealth Writers story site, Adda. Iryn is at work on her first novel set in contemporary rural and urban Uganda. She tweets at @wordsweaver.

Publisher: House Of Anansi (April 22, 2025)
Paperback 8″ x 5″ | 328 pp
ISBN: 9781487013134

Alison Manley

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Alison Manley has ricocheted between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for most of her life. Now in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is the Cataloguing and Metadata Librarian at Saint Mary's University. Her past life includes a long stint as a hospital librarian on the banks of the mighty Miramichi River. She has an honours BA in political science and English from St. Francis Xavier University, and a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. While she's adamant that her love of reading has nothing to do with her work, her ability to consume large amounts of information very quickly sure is helpful. She is often identified by her very red lipstick, and lives with her partner Brett and cat, Toasted Marshmallow.