First published 2008
José Eduardo Agualusa embarks on a journey across Africa, accompanied by four characters from the novel he writes as he travels. They begin in Luanda, Angola's capital, then move through Benguela and Namibe. The group crosses Namibian desert sands and abandoned towns before reaching Cape Town. Their path continues to Maputo, then Quelimane along the Bon Sinais River, finally arriving at the Island of Mozambique. Reality blends with fiction as they drift through dreamlike landscapes where unusual characters appear. The boundaries between the author's actual experiences and his imagined story blur. His four fictional companions become as real as the places they visit together. This becomes a story about women, music, and magic. Africa emerges as a continent facing serious troubles yet rich with musical talent, strong women, and the mysterious power of old gods. The journey reveals Africa's capacity for renewal and rebirth.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, african-literature, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, lyrical
Tropes: blurred-reality, found-family
Setting: Angola, Benguela, Cape Town, Luanda, Maputo, Mozambique, Namibe, Namibia, Quelimane
Period: 21st-century
356 pages · Paperback · Arcadia Books Ltd