First published 1992
Salim runs a small shop in a town deep in post-colonial Africa. The settlement sits on a great river bend, where old ways clash with new forces sweeping across the continent. Modern ideas and foreign influences press against ancient customs that have shaped this place for generations. Salim watches his community transform around him as political upheaval and cultural shifts threaten everything familiar. He must decide whether to embrace the changes or resist them, knowing that either choice carries dangerous consequences. The town becomes a battleground between progress and tradition, pulling Salim between two worlds that cannot coexist peacefully. His personal survival depends on understanding which forces will ultimately prevail in this struggle for Africa's future.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, african-literature, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, personal-survival
Setting: Africa, River Bend
Period: Post-Colonial
288 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books