Dealing with the Dead

Congolese writer Mabanckou (Broken Glass) fuses political corruption and the afterlife in his textured 13th novel. It follows the winding path toward vengeance of the recently slain Liwa Ekimakingaï, a Pointe-Noire man who doesn’t remember how he died after finding himself buried in a “poor folk’s cemetery.” There, he’s bored by the stories of other dead people such as pretentious bureaucrat Prosper Milandou, who reveals that the city’s rich and powerful frequently consult with sorcerers. Liwa then recalls the night of his death, remembering that he was poisoned by Pointe-Noire’s influential kleptocrat Augustin Biampandou. Augustin is said to have killed his daughter, Samantha, in a ritual sacrifice in exchange for his wealth and power, and it turns out Liwa met Samantha’s ghost shortly before he died. Now, he embarks on a quest for justice. While Mabanckou tests the reader’s patience with the many long-winded stories of the dead, he succeeds at evoking the city’s folkloric magic and satirizing its corruption. It’s not the author’s best, but his fans will find plenty to appreciate. (Sept.)