African Literature! Must Read

The empire of lies by Aminata Sow Fall

Reading a book by Aminata Sow Fall is always an event. One of the precursors of Senegalese letters, with Mariama Bâ. The african lady leads us in her universe with an extraordinary style. Once again, she wrote a masterful novel, in her own fluid style, it’s smooth. I read the book in 24 hours!

A course of philosophy through Wolof expressions that dot the book, but also life lessons. In portraying the trajectory of Sada, forced to sell scrapto to subsist. She puts the light on the people left behind. The “little” people, who are part of our daily lives but are no longer seen.

L’ ombre d’une différence by Sefi Atta

The desire to make sense of her existence, the search for the self “me”. To assert oneself as an individual, are one of the many issues that Deola fights on daily basis… Nigerian, thirsty, works in London at a NGO – LINK – which finances projects in developing countries. For once they have a project directly affecting her native country, Nigeria. She is sent as a Girl Scout to test the waters and report on the need for LINK to step in.

Through this magnificent book, Sefi Atta offers us a great journey in the Nigerian giant. A country of paradoxes and contradictions. As Nigerian women are fond of top fashion designers and flashy brands, they are traditionalists in the soul. Quick to categorize ethnic groups and to consider themselves superior to this or that other woman .