The author was born in Yemen in the 1960s. He was the youngest of 11 siblings and was only 3 years old when the family moved to Beirut (Lebanon), then not long after, they moved to Cairo (Egypt), where he spent his years growing up, and figuring out that he was gay. Most of the family eventually headed back to Yemen, but long before then, Kamal knew he had to get out of the Middle East. He yearned to go to England or the US, where he felt he would be able to be himself and not hide. He managed a scholarship to study in England, and from there, he eventually made his way to Canada.

This covered the 1960s (when the people of Yemen and Egypt were relatively free and not so constrained by religion) up to and including 2011. As Kamal yearned to leave, he hated to leave his mother and sisters behind, the way women were being treated by the time he got out. Some of his brothers had gone fervently religious, too much for Kamal’s liking. He tried to not look back on his life there, and even speaking to his family was difficult, as he was still hiding who he really was and it reminded him of how bad things were in the country he was born in. As things got worse in the Middle East, and in Yemen in particular with a civil war happening in 2011, he did seek out news from home.

This was really good. It was also very interesting, to read the cultural differences between the Middle Eastern countries he lived in and the Western countries. As a Canadian myself, it was really nice to see how accepted he was in Canada (Toronto, though I am from the West), regardless of his nationality and his sexual orientation. Completely not book-related, but as someone who has taken bellydance classes off and on, I had to take a brief break from reading to look up a famous Egyptian bellydancer his father hired to perform at one of his sisters’ weddings. ( )

I read this book as part of the Canada Reads Book of the month. We are reading the Canada Reads books. I was quite glad I picked this one up.

Kamal Al-Solaylee was the youngest of 11 children born to Yemeni parents. His father was a business man who was involved in real estate in Aden, Yemen. When the socialists took over, they lost all their property and were driven out. They ended up in Beruit, followed by Egypt. The family moved as racial tensions rose and unemployment for his siblings occurred. They finally ended up back in Northern Yemin in Sanaa'a. The story tells of the hardships and poverty the family and other Yemenis endured. Kamal, as a gay man, was also in fear all the time. His brothers began to embrace Islam and the freedom the family had in the past as a non-secular family was erased. Kamal eventually emigrated to Canada, where he wrote this book to connect with his roots, his family and to move forward in his life. Very touching and educating. ( )

A beautifully-written memoir that explores the author's childhood in the Middle East, the increasing influence of conservatism and political instability on his daily life, his immigration to Canada, and his experiences as a gay man. Caught between his home in the West and his family's home in Yemen, Kamal Al-Solaylee explores identity and belonging in this compelling book. ( )

Great memoir! ( )

One of the good things about Canada Reads is that it brings to my attention Canadian books that would otherwise escape my attention. I am really glad that this book was one of the ones nominated for the finals in 2015 because I found it a fascinating tale.

Kamal Al-Solaylee was the youngest child of 11 raised by an Anglophile Muslim man and an illiterate former shepherdess. Kamal's father was a real estate tycoon in Aden and his family had many luxuries. That all came crashing down after the British pulled out of Yemen and the family had to move to Beirut. Refusing to believe that the loss of his income-producing properties was permanent Kamal's father installed the family in a large and expensive apartment. Then sectarian violence forced the family to leave and they went to Cairo. Some money from bank accounts in England was available but with rising costs it was necessary for the older children to go to work and help support the family. Cairo at this time was a moderate community and the young women in the family wore makeup, went out on their own and even posed in bikinis when they went to beaches on the Mediterranean. The oldest son was the first convert to fundamentalism--he went to prayers 5 times a day, thought women should be covered from head to toe and wanted to move back to Yemen. Slowly but surely changes occurred in how the women dressed and where they went and eventually it was decided to move to Sana'a in Yemen. The author, having realized his sexual preference was other men, feared returning to Yemen because the punishment for being gay was flogging or death. He had no choice but to return for a while but he did manage to get a scholarship to an English university to study English literature. That was the start of his freedom from the fundamentalism sweeping Arab nations. He saw his parents and siblings forced to make changes to their lifestyle which was particularly hard for the females. As a momma's boy it was difficult for him to turn his back on his mother but he knew it was the only way he could survive. Although he deprecates his scholarly accomplishments Kamal has a Master's degree and a Ph. D. in English literature.

He felt he had to immigrate to a country where his religion, nationality and sexuality would not be a problem. Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada were all acceptable to him but Canada gave him the easiest time so he moved to Toronto. The dedication of the book is:
"To Toronto, for giving me what I've been looking for: a home."

I am always fascinated by learning the stories of people who immigrate to Canada. It was a long time ago that my ancestors came here and I have never known what propelled them. This book is one story only but it presents an interesting perspective. ( )