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This novel takes place in Oubangui between the two World
Wars. Following an unhappy love
affair, a young Frenchman leaves Paris for the Colonies. He engages in daring hunting expeditions in the hope of
putting his sorrows behind him, yet the unexpected arrival of his unfaithful
lover, now married to a rich aristocrat, has dramatic consequences. Above and
beyond the central plot that remains quite conventional and puts the emphasis
on the White protagonists, their biases and futile social intercourse, one can
feel a slight undercurrent subverting the main narrative voice. Secondary
characters such as colonist Joëlle - who keeps an open mind towards the
healing power of a tribal elder, and Black "house-boy" Sambassa - who does his
best to save the bashful lover from himself - challenge common wisdom in their
attempt to act according to their best judgment rather than society's
expectation.
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