Son of Elsewhere: a Memoir in Pieces

Synopsis: Elamin Abdelmahmoud writes a series of essays, or “a memoir in pieces,” describing his journey from Sudan to Canada at the age of twelve. The essays are not chronologic, but cover the full range of his young life including his early years in Sudan, his family’s move to Kingston Ontario (“the whitest city in Canada”), teenage years of searching for identity, and young adulthood with a wife and daughter. The normal teenage task of separation from your parents becomes more fraught in an immigrant household, and his story is told with humor and grace.

Review: Before moving to Canada, Elamin never thought of himself as black. Rather, as a native of northern Sudan, he and his family thought of themselves as Arabs. Once he arrives in Ontario, he realizes that now he needs to learn what being black means in this hemisphere. He very much wants to fit in with his peers, and pop culture was his vehicle. He developed a passion for wrestling, because even if you don’t know much English, it’s easy to tell the heros from the villains, and you can enjoy it with friends regardless. I had NO IDEA about wrestling fan fiction competitions, which he used to develop his writing skills. He covers topics as diverse as the history and culture of Sudan, the challenges of being a Muslim teen in the post 9/11 world, to country music or how The O.C. helped him learn about relationships. There were many poignant and beautifully captured thoughts. His story is moving, and he tells it with humor, honesty and love. This had many similarities to Sigh Gone, another memoir about the unique struggles of trying to assimilate as an American teen with immigrant parents. Both authors contemplate the common theme of our desire to have community, a tribe to belong to, and clarity of purpose. I really enjoyed this, and hope to see more from this author in the future.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: This sheet pan “tagine” seems like a good choice to pair with this book. It has all the flavors of a North African tagine—fragrant spices, olives, dates and lemons, but the westernized ease of sheet pan cooking. This recipe comes from Melissa Clark in her cookbook Dinner in One.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

large pinch of nutmeg

3 pounds bone in skin on chicken pieces

1/2 pound carrots, halved lengthwise (or quartered if thick)

1/2 pound sweet potatoes cut into wedges

1 lemon, quartered

1/2 cup pitted dates, sliced

1 cup mixed olives

1/2 cup torn fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley, or a combination)

1) Heat oven to 425

2) In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the tomato paste and remaining spices. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and rub the paste over them, including under the skin. Arrange the chicken on a rimmed sheet pan.

3) In the same bowl, toss together the carrots, sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange the vegetables on the pan with the chicken. Add the quartered lemon to the pan. Roast for 20 minutes.

4) Remove the sheet pan from the oven, then scatter the dates and olives in an even layer around the chicken among the vegetables. Drizzle with a little more olive oil then return to the oven and finish cooking, about 15 more minutes, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

5) To serve, transfer to a platter, squeeze the roasted lemon over top and scatter with herbs.