When the Plums Are Ripe
Patrice Nganang
Translated by Amy B. Reid
13 August 2019Synopsis
The second volume in a magisterial trilogy, the story of Cameroon caught between empires during World War II
In Cameroon, plum season is a highly anticipated time of year. But for the narrator of When the Plums Are Ripe, the poet Pouka, the season reminds him of the “time when our country had discovered the root not so much of its...
Details
13 August 2019
9780374288990Reviews
A Library Journal Best Book of 2019
“Nganang’s second novel (after 2016’s Mount Pleasant) in a trilogy about Cameroon takes place as the nation is forced into World War II and caught between Vichy and the Free French. The plot and action are matched by the author’s powerful take on the damage colonialism inflicts for generations.” —Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post
“What happens to a colony when its colonizer becomes colonized itself? That’s the questioned underlying [When the Plums Are Ripe] . . . [A] richly detailed novel . . . A brilliant, beguiling story.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Nganang is a political force whose experiences in Cameroon inform every page of this novel . . . For those who appreciate how fiction illuminates history, [When the Plums Are Ripe] will be an eye-opener.” —Library Journal
“Nganang continues his rich, complex saga of WWII-era Cameroon with this second volume in a trilogy . . . [When the Plums Are Ripe] confronts the horrible history of French colonialism: the French’s use of ‘black soldiers for cannon fodder’ in fighting the Axis powers . . . With a narrative structure reminiscent of African oral traditions, an unknown narrator heralds . . . the young men who shed their blood for a Western country and the young women left behind . . . With lyrical, soaring prose, Nganang sings their song, challenging the Euro-written history of colonialism and replacing it with a much-needed African one.” —Publishers Weekly
