Promises

With a distinctly Ugandan heartbeat, Promises deftly switches between London and Kampala, and between the experiences of couple Ajuna and Kagaba, separated by economic migration. The portions of the book set in London are characterised by isolation, precarity, the chilling nature of life in the margins and the yearnings expressed through food, music and the situational relationships that form. By contrast, life in Uganda throbs with heat, with disruption, with webs of familial connection. Kyomuhendo’s writing is both parsimonious and rhythmic, creating a common pulse between the book’s locales and its characters. Promises are never between just two people, and are not simply made and broken.