It’s the late 1940s, and Senegal finds itself under the occupation of French forces. Many men find employment in the train system that extends into the country, used by locals to move between cities and by the foreigners to aid in their exploitation of the country. The work conditions are grim, and the pay is meager. Inspired by their union, the men go on strike…and the French occupiers respond by cutting off the water, and leaning on store owners to minimize food sold to the strikers. As the weeks turn into months, starvation and desperation set in and, should victory be possible, it will be the work of no single person…
Inspired by true events (a 1947-48 worker striker on the Niger-Dakar railway) Ousmane paints a broad picture of society in suffering, yet determined to fight its way to dignity. This is an ensemble piece, full of dozens of characters. Some appear only briefly, while others carry on throughout the novel. There’s Bakayoko, the imposing union leader whose fiery speeches inspire faith in the cause…though his obsession with social justice masks a routine of casual marriage infidelity. There’s Ad’jibid’ji, Bakayoko’s adopted daughter, whose youth allows her to attend the normally male-only meetings (and who is clearly far, far smarter than she’d care to reveal in a traditional society). There’s Prenda, a single woman easily angered but quick to care for those weaker than herself…
There is a LOT happening in this book, which makes it hard to summarize. One prominent theme is the strength of the women of the community who, being responsible for the household, are the ones that must try and make life endurable while the men struggle on the front lines. This eventually makes them targets of both the French and their locale supporters…who discover the women are more than capable of holding their own in a fight (they do, after all, know where all the knives are kept).
Ousmane’s great strength is his grasp of character. Everyone here has a distinct voice, and time is given even to those who bit flit across the page. This is a living and breathing world, a testament to a society finding defiance while suffering crisis. Me like books.
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