Other Names, Other Places

The book is impactful and evocative. It is written in second person. But feels more like reading a journal though with all that reminiscing memories of childhood and adulthood, there are some deep and thought provoking conversations as well. It is a multilayered story. There are cultures differences and to get to know the truth, you have to peel off the layer one by one. The revelations at the end will shook you.

With evocative memories, dysfunctional family, mystery, hidden truths, secrets and certain revelations, the author has encapsulated the experience of being an immigrant in London. And shared the cultural differences throughout the story. The writing is compelling and mysterious. This book is unusual and different. I haven’t read anything like this before. I would definitely recommend it.


•Tunisian immigrant in London
•Cultural differences
•Love and heartbreak
•Hidden Truths
•Family secrets
•Double identity
•Compelling writing
•Multilayered story
•Coming of age
•Revelations at the end

Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book.

This book was incredible; I couldn’t put it down. It’s a really beautiful examination of being an immigrant and growing up in the U.K, but more than that it is an examination of a life. It’s clear that the character of Nesrine is inspired by the author, but every character is equally well-developed and nuanced. The storyline jumps between different times and often foreshadows and self-references, but the main chronology of the story is always easy to follow. This structure builds suspense and continually propels the story forward, making for a really interesting read. The story is so richly written and full of life, and I felt like I was looking through a window into a real family. Just so, so good.

Ola Mustapha’s debut novel, Other Names, Other Places, is a captivating coming-of-age tale that follows Nesrine, a Tunisian immigrant living in the UK. Written in the second person, the story unfolds as a heartfelt conversation between Nesrine (also known as Nessie) and Mrs. Brown, a family friend and former neighbor from years ago. Through this conversation, Nessie recounts her entire life, immersing the reader in her evocative narrative.

The title and cover of the novel are just as intriguing as the story itself. From the outset, Mustapha’s melancholic prose transports us to Nessie’s past, exploring her formative years. She comes from a dysfunctional family with a distant father, an aloof mother, and an older sister, leaving Nessie without any close bonds within her household.

As the narrative progresses, Nessie gradually unveils fragmented pieces of her memory, attempting to reconstruct her past. We witness her journey through different stages of life, from childhood to adulthood, as she becomes an expatriate in Tokyo. Mustapha candidly portrays Nessie’s struggles as an immigrant child who struggles to fit in.

Skillfully navigating through various themes such as family dynamics, immigrant challenges, parental expectations, and infidelity, Mustapha presents this multi-layered story in the form of a journal. She adeptly reveals subtle details throughout the narrative, holding the reader’s attention as they traverse three countries: the UK, Tunisia, and Japan. The cultural differences between these settings are vividly depicted.

If you enjoy slow-paced, coming-of-age stories that revolve around complex relationships, I recommend picking up Other Names, Other Places.
I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Fairlight Books for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.



Wordsopedia Rating 3.5/5

Other Names, Other Places is the debut novel by writer Ola Mustapha. Ola was born in Egypt, grew up in the UK and has lived in Japan. These experiences are undoubtedly reflected in her work. Apart from immigration, the themes of family, family secrets, infidelity, identity and mental health are dealt with.
It tells the story of Nesrine, aka Nessie, aka Usu, a Tunisian immigrant to the UK, along with her parents, sister and family friend Mrs Brown,aka Genevieve, who unexpectedly and unexplainedly disappears from their lives. This absence, along with other events that occur in her childhood and which she does not understand due to her young age, have consequences in the life of the protagonist. The issue of names, beyond the title, is not exploited very much, and could have been exploited more.
At first, both the title and the cover caught my attention, as they fit well with the intention of the book. Then I found myself immersed in a coming-of-age story, well-written, well-developed, interesting and gripping.
Although Nasrine is not a particularly likeable character, her story intrigues and grips, as it goes beyond the increasingly typical immigrant adaptation narrative. The presence and, above all, the disappearance of Mrs Brown, gives it an extra mystery that sets it apart from other works of its kind.
I highlight the second-person narration and the circular structure of the novel. The first, because it makes it more intimate, and the second because it gives closure to the narrative tension that builds throughout the work. However, I think that at the end of the book, when she returns to some anecdotes from the beginning in order to explain them in some way, she prolongs the aforementioned tension too much.
In the middle part Nasrine tells us about her early life as an immigrant in the UK, her time at university and the years spent in Japan. I particularly liked the part about Japan the most because it is where we can see the deficiencies that the character has as a result of her childhood and adolescence.
My favourite character is Sherine, because of how she acts as the older, protective sister, and how she fights for the younger one's freedom of choice. As for the father, he has no further to go, he follows the canons of behaviour typical of his male sex, a Muslim father of a family.
Finally, the final "surprise" is something that I could see coming, which the author took a long time to reveal and which gives a different view of the mother and some passages of the story.
In conclusion, it is recommended for those who like stories of immigrants adapting to other countries, books of coming-of-age and family secrets.

En español: Other Names, Other Places es la novela debut de la escritora Ola Mustapha. Ola nació en Egipto, creció en Reino Unido y ha vivido en Japón. Estas experiencias se ven reflejadas, sin duda, en su obra. Aparte de la inmigración, se trata los temas de la familia, los secretos familiares, la infidelidad, la identidad y la salud mental.
Aquí se narra la historia de Nesrine, AKA Nessie, AKA Usu, inmigrante tunesina en Reino Unido, junto a sus padres, hermana y a Mrs. Brown, AKA Genevieve, amiga de la familia, la cual desaparece de sus vidas de forma inesperada e inexplicada. Esta ausencia, junto a otros hechos que ocurren en su infancia y que ella no comprende debido a su corta edad, tienen sus consecuencias en la vida de la protagonista. El asunto de los nombres, más allá del título, está poco explotado, se le podía sacar más partido.
En un primer momento me llamaron la atención tanto el título como la portada, puesto que se ajustan bien a la intención del libro. Luego, me vi sumergida en una historia coming-of-age, bien escrita, bien desarrollada, que interesa y atrapa.
A pesar de que Nasrine, no es un personaje particularmente gustable, su historia intriga y atrapa, puesto que va más allá de la, cada vez más típica, narración de adaptación de inmigrantes. La presencia y, sobre todo, la desaparición de Mrs Brown, le da un plus de misterio que la distingue entre otras obras de su tipo.
Destaco la narración en segunda persona y la estructura circular de la novela. La primera, porque la hace más íntima, y la segunda porque le da un cierre a la tensión narrativa que va en aumento a lo largo de la obra. Si bien, creo que al final del libro, cuando vuelve a retomar algunas anécdotas del principio para, de alguna forma explicarlas, alarga demasiado esta tensión antes mencionada.
En la parte central Nasrine nos cuenta los primeros años de su vida como inmigrante en Reino Unido, su paso por la universidad y los años pasados en Japón. Particularmente la parte de Japón es la que más me ha gustado porque es donde se ve las deficiencias que el personaje tiene a raíz de su infancia y adolescencia.
Mi personaje preferido, es Sherine, por cómo ejerce de hermana mayor, protectora, y cómo lucha por la libertad de elección de la menor. En cuanto al padre, no tiene más recorrido, sigue los cánones de comportamiento propios de su sexo masculino, padre de familia musulmán.
Por último, la “sorpresa” final es algo que se iba viendo venir, que la autora tardó mucho en desvelar y que le da otra visión a la madre y a algunos pasajes de la historia.
En conclusión, recomendada para quien le gusten las historias de adaptación de inmigrantes en otros países, los libros de iniciación y los secretos familiares

The characters in this novel were so real to me, I briefly forgot it was fiction. The book is written in the voice of Nesrine as she reflects on her life and a particular mystery from her childhood. She addresses Mrs. Brown, a friend of the family who abruptly disappeared from her life. The narrative is somewhat disjointed, following the thoughts of Nesrine. There is much left unsaid in the family and Nesrine's memories are incomplete and unreliable.

Ola Mustapha has mastered the art of showing, not telling. As the book continues and you learn more facets of the family relationships, you understand what might have happened. Only at the very end do you begin to have a complete picture. The storytelling is masterful. After finishing, I immediately wanted to do a reread to catch all that I might have missed.

Themes:
The immigrant experience is an important theme of the first half as Nesrine, her sister, and her mother left Tunisia to join her father in London. The second half shows a different immigrant experience when she leaves the UK for Japan where she is mostly involved with the "expat" community.
Family dynamics
Relationships
Mental health

Many thanks to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Not me finding another 5 star read! 🥹

This book is unlike anything I’ve read in awhile and is super unique in its style and structure. Every sentence was intentional and had its purpose in developing the story, which made it such a page turning addictive read!

Mustapha perfectly balances Nesrine’s childhood, told in a disjointed way to reflect her incomplete memories, and her adulthood, which gives us a well rounded view of her life and the moments that have led to her current situation. I really enjoyed how each chapter peeled a layer off one by one to get to the revelation at the end.

The book is a beautiful examination of being an immigrant in the UK, the rejection of your culture in order to assimilate and choosing what to hold on to and what to let go of. I also enjoyed how the author explored other themes, all which felt fully realised such as dysfunctional families, identity, relationships and ‘otherness’.

Overall I’m super happy I got to read this book, I would definitely recommend checking it out if this sounds like your vibe.