One thing that I wanted to do with this book is complicate how people might think about

those solidified identity categories like blackness, like muslimness, like immigrantness.

Elamine Abdel-Makmoo talks about his new memoir, Son of Elsewhere, about growing up in Canada

after moving there from Sudan when he was 12.

Why were these women and children traveling alone on one of the most dangerous roads in the world?

Where were the men?

The investigative journalist and author Sally Denton discusses the colony, which explores

a Mormon sect in Mexico.

Plus, Alexandra Alter has news from the publishing world, and the Times' critics, Alexandra

Jacobs and Jennifer Salai talk about books they've recently reviewed.

This is the Book Review Podcast.

It's July 15th.

I'm John Williams.

Elamine Abdel-Makmoo is here.

He is a senior culture writer for Buzzfeed, and his first book, which he's here to talk

about, is Son of Elsewhere, a memoir in pieces.

In the New York Times, our critic Jennifer Salai writes that the book is Funny and Frank,

delivered in such a generous spirit that almost any reader is bound to be won over by Abdel-Makmoo's

story of trying to figure out who he was.

Elamine joins us from Toronto.

Thanks for being here.

Hey, John.

...