A CBC Best Book of 2025 A beguiling coming of age novel set in Uganda in which a young woman grapples with the truth about her sister in a country that punishes gay people. Eighteen-year-old Aine Kamara has been anticipating a reunion with her older sister, Mbabazi, for months. But when Mbabazi shows up with an unexpected guest, Aine must confront an old fear: her beloved sister is gay in a country with tight anti-homosexuality laws. Over a weekend at Aine’s all girls’ boarding school, sisterly bonds strengthen, and a new friendship emerges between Aine and her sister’s partner, Achen. Later, a sudden death in the family brings Achen to Mbabazi’s and Aine’s village, resulting in tensions that put Mrs. Kamara’s Christian beliefs to the test. Aine runs away to Mbabazi’s and Achen’s home in Kampala, where she reconnects with her crush, Elia, a sophomore at Makerere University. In acclaimed writer Iryn Tushabe’s dazzling debut novel, Aine must make hard choices, with inevitable and harrowing results. “Peeled back, there is a central kernel of intimacy in Tushabe’s novel: the insistent, surprising ways characters connect even amidst the pressurization of Uganda’s rigid anti-homosexuality laws.” ― The Walrus “In Everything is Fine Here , Iryn Tushabe proves herself to be a talented and brave writer who isn’t afraid to tackle tough issues of our time.” ― Room Magazine “An anti-colonial and queer feminist novel … that’s a stimulating, entertaining, thought-provoking and optimistic story – as well as a rally cry – all at once.” ― Scout Magazine “ Everything Is Fine Here is a wonderfully heart-warming book.” ― The Miramichi Reader “ Everything Is Fine Here is an utter pleasure to read. Iryn Tushabe’s exquisite prose strikes at the heart of its characters and their desires to be their truest selves in a country at odds with their identities. Caught in the tensions between personal freedom and familial, cultural, and societal expectations, Aine’s fierce love for her sister makes this story so alive, so moving, so triumphant in its realness. This novel reads like a gesture of faith; it moved me to tears, of both laughter and compassion.” ― francesca ekwuyasi, author of Butter Honey Pig Bread IRYN TUSHABE is a Ugandan-Canadian writer and journalist. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in Briarpatch Magazine , Adda , Prairies North , the Walrus, and on CBC Saskatchewan. Her short fiction has been published in Grain Magazine , the Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Anthology , and the Journey Prize Stories . She won the City of Regina Writing Award in 2020 and 2024, was a finalist for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2021, and won the 2023 Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize. She lives in Regina.