The International Library Exchange

Salie lives in France, and her brother, Madické, dreams of joining her there and is counting on her. But how can we explain to him the hidden face of immigration, he who sees France as a Promised Land where Senegalese footballers succeed, where those who, like Sankèle, flee their tragic destiny will take refuge? How can we prevent Madické and his comrades from building castles in Spain, when the man from Barbès, back home, gains notoriety, hides his real life as an emigrant and fills them with stories where France passes for an imaginary Arcadia? The relationships between Madické and Salie reveal to us the uncomfortable situation of those who come from France, crushed by the excessive expectations of those who remain in the country and confronted with the difficulty of being the Other everywhere. Distilling lure and hope, The Belly of the Atlantic carries contrasting destinies between Europe and Africa captured in the whirlwind of feelings. The human condition allows itself to be punctuated by the irresistible call from Elsewhere. Because, even if the suffering of those who remain is unspeakable, it is a question of leaving, sailing, free as seaweed in the Atlantic. An uncompromising first novel, served by writing full of breath and humor