Coeur du Sahel

"Following on the heels of her Prix Goncourt des Lycéens win for Les impatientes in 2020, Djali Amadou Amal brings us another compelling story about the condition of women among the Peuls of North Cameroon. Here is the story of Faydé, a teenager who leaves the mountains of her village to work as maid in the city, struggling to provide for her family plunged into misery after the sudden disappearance of her father. Despite the contempt and the abuse that she suffers—including rape—and armed with only her dreams, Faydé is determine to succeed. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . Djaili Amadou is an activist dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Cameroon; she founded the association Femmes du Sahel , which seeks to end child marriage by promoting education for girls, and in 2021 was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. With this new novel, she again proves her talent as a compelling storyteller, painting vibrant frescos of life in her native region. She deftly sets her protagonist’s story in the broader context of life in the north, calling attention to the effects of climate change on subsistence farmers across the Sahel and the desperation of the population faced with the unrelenting and transnational terrorism of Boko Haram. A translation of Djaili’s first novel, The Impatient , translated by Emma Ramadan, is due out in October 2022 from HarperVia."