We need new names - No violet Bulawayo

We Need New Names is divided into two parts: the first follows Darling’s childhood in Zimbabwe, and the second details her experiences as an immigrant in the United States. The novel begins in Paradise, a shantytown where Darling and her friends experience the harsh realities of poverty, political unrest, and the struggles of daily life. They play in the streets, imagining new names for themselves, hoping for something better than the bleak reality that surrounds them.

As Darling grows, she witnesses the struggles of her family and community against the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s political corruption and instability. These struggles are exacerbated by widespread poverty, with Darling often reflecting on the contradictions of her life—wanting a better future, yet feeling torn between the love for her home and the yearning for something more. She is particularly close to her grandmother and her friend, Chipo, who becomes a tragic figure in the community.

When Darling moves to the United States to live with her aunt, the second part of the book focuses on her life as an immigrant. Here, she grapples with her sense of alienation, adjusting to a new culture, and the challenges of navigating the disparities between her past and present. Darling faces discrimination, and her longing for home and her people remains strong, even as she adapts to her new life in America. However, she struggles with the emotional distance that begins to form between herself and the family members she left behind, as well as the guilt and pain of abandoning her homeland.

The novel poignantly depicts the emotional and psychological toll of migration, the search for identity, and the internal conflicts that arise from living in between cultures. Darling’s story reflects the experience of many African immigrants who are caught between the hope for a better life in the West and the longing for home, as well as the challenges of reconciling their past with their present.