04-05-2025
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- Toronto Star
Novelist Iryn Tushabe on the wonder of Toni Morrison and considering Heathcliff as boyfriend material
May 4, 2025
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By Jean Marc Ah-Sen Special to the Star
Aine Kamara has long suspected that her sister Mbabazi, newly returned from Canada after finishing a degree in Gynaecologic Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, might be gay. Aine worries for her sister's safety considering Uganda's draconian anti-homosexuality laws, and clashes with her mother about Mbabazi's sexuality. 'In this world we must do what is hard to show that we love what is good,' Mama opines. 'If we don't show your sister that we hate her sin, she will stay in it, and she will rot in it.'
After losing her faith and realizing that her mother's Orthodox Christian household is too restrictive — in addition to Mbabazi, they argue about whether Danish theologian Søren Kierkegaard's body of work can be considered religious writing — Aine leaves for the capital. In Kampala, she gets to know Mbabazi's lover Achen, confirming that the couple are defying the law at the risk of life imprisonment or worse.
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