Novel
L'Esclave
Not translated into English
Félix Couchoro · 1929
Synopsis
On the banks of the Mono, between Dahomey and Togo, Mawoulawoê, bought as a child in a slave market, has been raised by his master as his own son. On the father's death, however, he does not receive the same share of the inheritance as Komlangan, the legitimate son, a rich polygamous farmer who has become head of the family and leaves him only a palm grove. Gnawed by jealousy, the slave hides his resentment. When Komlangan takes a fourth wife, the beautiful Akoéba, a secret affair develops between her and Mawoulawoê, and the drama gradually spreads to the whole household.
Context
Published in Paris in 1929 by the éditions de la Dépêche africaine, the book is regarded as the second novel published in French by an African, and it long remained neglected. Its author republished it as a serial in Togo-Presse in 1962; it was reissued in volume form in 1983, then included in 2005 in complete works brought together by Laté Lawson-Hellu, Simon Amegbleame, Alain Ricard and J. Riesz. By setting the story on both banks of the Mono, which Benin and Togo now share, the writer paints, according to critics, a world that colonisation has destabilised.
Who it is for
For those who like family dramas and want to read one of the very first African novels in French.
Prizes and reception
Long forgotten, it is now regarded as a key text of Francophone African letters.
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