The Hand of Iman

In an unnamed African country devoured by rampant urbanization and haunted by the mirages of Western prosperity, where for a few CFA francs a child can be bought and sold for slavery, Toumani's earliest education is in the tolerance of suffering. He endures one master then the next, holding his survival-his very self-with open hands.

For Iman, a black and white biracial boy with an elusive presence, the only viable option appears to be an escape to bountiful Europe, where everything must be easier. Obsessed with this idyllic elsewhere to the point of losing himself completely, he remains, for those close to him, an object of fascination difficult to define.

When Iman reaches out his hand to rescue Toumani from certain death, he sets in motion a friendship that may satisfy their need for connection but cannot fundamentally change their circumstances. What is the point of survival without hope for a more livable future? And what happens to them when they both love the same girl?

In this stunning translation of Ryad Assani-Razaki's award-winning debut novel, dreaming is luxury that few can afford. And yet, however inadvisedly, Iman dreams.

“Several voices take turns telling a story that unfolds over three generations. Their country is not named, but Black Africa is ultimately the novel's main character … Thanks to precise and poetic writing endowed with extraordinary sensitivity, the entire drama of Africa is drawn—its strengths, its riches, its predators, its violence, and its despair.” —2011 Robert-Cliche First Novel Award

RYAD ASSANI-RAZAKI was born in 1981 in Cotonou in the West African state of Benin. In 2009, his short story collection Deux cercles was awarded the Trillium Book Award. His debut novel La main d'Iman won the Prix Robert-Cliche in 2011 and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction in 2012.

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