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Segu
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Segu
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Description
The bestselling epic novel of family, treachery, rivalry, religious fervour and the turbulent fate of a people.
The year is 1797, and the kingdom of Segu is flourishing. The people of Segu, the Bambara, are guided by their griots and priests while their lives are ruled by nature. But change is about to come - from the east comes a new religion, Islam, and from the West, the slave trade.
Segu follows the life of Dousika Traore, the king's most trusted advisor, and his four sons - Tiekoro, who embraces Islam; Siga, a merchant; Naba, who is kidnapped by slave traders; and Malobali, a mercenary and half-hearted Christian.
Based on historical events, Segu captures the struggle of a growing nation trying to cope with jihads, national rivalries and racism.
Series: Penguin Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Segu by Maryse Condé is celebrated for its vibrant and intricate storytelling, bringing nineteenth-century West African history to life through its well-drawn characters and complex relationships. The novel is praised for its rich cultural detail and the way it vividly explores political, social, and personal dynamics across continents and centuries. Critics appreciate its immersive narrative and view it as both a powerful historical exploration and a deeply engaging family saga.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241293515
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 06 April 2017
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Contributors:
- Translated by Barbara Bray
- Translated by Barbara Bray
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 130.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 349g
Pages: 512
About the Author
Maryse Conde (Author) Maryse Conde was born at Pointe- -Pitre, Guadeloupe, in 1937 and spent most of her life in West Africa (Guinea, Ghana and Senegal), France and the US, where she taught at the University of California, Berkeley, UCLA and Columbia. The publication of her bestselling third novel, Segu (1984), established her pre-eminent position among Caribbean writers. She won Le Grand Prix Litteraire de la Femme in 1986 as well as Le Prix de L'Academie Fran aise in 1988 and was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2015.
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