When Diégane, a young Senegalese writer in Paris, comes across mention of T.C. Elimane, another Senegalese writer who wrote one legendary book which caused a scandal in the 1930s before disappearing without a trace, his interest is piqued and he decides to search for Elimane…

This one falls into what I think of as Intellectual Literature in the French tradition - big ideas, philosophical ponderings by the shedload and plenty of cultural references. It demands focus, but I really enjoyed it. And the writing was excellent.

It’s tricky to define exactly what this book is - it’s a bit of a literary mystety (what happened to Elimane? Was he even real…?), but it’s also a takedown of the snobbism of French literary elites both then and now, whilst also being a commentary on identity, love, colonialism and existing as a young African in the West. All set against the tragic backdrop of history…

Sarr tackles big themes and they are complex and all overlap, which, of course, is reflective of real life. No issue exists in a silo, especially not racism - it is influenced by history and daily events, by colonial legacies and current political discourse, all while wheedling its way into…pretty much everything.

A riveting, philosophical literary mystery which explores racism, colonialism, identity and love against the backdrop of history’s tragedies.