Popular African Historical Fiction Books
Find historical fiction books written by authors from Africa for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (93)
81.
The Scent of Burnt Flowers : A Novel by Blitz Bazawule EN
GhanaDescription:
Fleeing persecution in 1960s America, a Black couple seeks asylum in Ghana, but fresh dangers and old secrets threaten their newfound freedom in this hypnotic debut novel. “I am truly blown away by this novel.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone When the windshield of his Chevy Impala shatters in a dark diner parking lot in Alabama, Melvin moves without thinking. A split-second reaction marrows in his bones from the days of war, but this time it is the safety of his fiancé, Bernadette, at stake. Impulse keeps them alive, and yet they flee with blood on the... continue
82.
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste EN
EthiopiaDescription:
A gripping novel set during Mussolini’s 1935 invasion of Ethiopia, The Shadow King takes us back to the first real conflict of World War II, casting light on the women soldiers who were left out of the historical record. With the threat of Mussolini’s army looming, recently orphaned Hirut struggles to adapt to her new life as a maid in Kidane and his wife Aster’s household. Kidane, an officer in Emperor Haile Selassie’s army, rushes to mobilize his strongest men before the Italians invade. His initial kindness to Hirut shifts into a flinty cruelty when she resists his advances, and Hirut finds... continue
83.
The Slave Yards : A Novel by Najwa Bin Shatwan EN
LibyaDescription:
Set in late nineteenth-century Benghazi, Najwa Bin Shatwan’s powerful novel tells the story of Atiqa, the daughter of a slave woman and her white master. We meet Atiqa as a grown woman, happily married with two children and working. When her cousin Ali unexpectedly enters her life, Atiqa learns the true identity of her parents, both long deceased, and slowly builds a friendship with Ali as they share stories of their past. We learn of Atiqa’s childhood, growing up in the “slave yards,” a makeshift encampment on the outskirts of Benghazi for Black Africans who were brought to Libya as slaves. A... continue
84.
The Smell of Apples : A Novel by Mark Behr EN
TanzaniaDescription:
The story of an affluent white South African family during apartheid. Its narrator is the son of an Afrikaner general and he describes his growing disillusion with the cruelty and arrogance of the whites. Set in the 1970s, the novel follows him from boyhood to soldiering in Angola, fighting the blacks.
85.
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra EN
AlgeriaDescription:
Set in Kabul under the rule of the Taliban, this extraordinary novel takes readers into the lives of two couples to offer an unflinching but compassionate insight into a society that violence and hypocrisy have brought to the edge of despair.
Guinea-Bissau87.
Un océan, deux mers, trois continents by Wilfried N'Sondé FR
CongoDescription:
Au tout début du XVIIe siècle, Nsaku Ne Vunda, ordonné prêtre et baptisé Dom Antonio Manuel, est chargé par le roi des Bakongos de devenir son ambassadeur auprès du pape. En faisant ses adieux à son Kongo natal, il ignore que le long voyage censé le mener à Rome va passer par le Nouveau Monde, et que le bateau sur lequel il s'apprête à embarquer est un navire négrier. De quoi mettre à mal sa foi en Dieu et en l'homme... Wilfried N'Sondé s'empare avec ardeur d'un personnage méconnu de l'Histoire pour dénoncer les horreurs d'une époque d'obscurantisme et exalter la beauté de l'espérance.... continue
88.
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta EN
NigeriaDescription:
Inspired by her mother's stories of war and Nigeria's folktale traditions, Under the Udala Trees is Chinelo Okparanta's deeply searching, powerful debut about the dangers of living and loving openly
89.
Watch Us Dance by Leila Slimani EN
MoroccoDescription:
Morocco, 1968. The air is electric. Anything feels possible, and Mathilde is determined to celebrate it. Doesn't she have the right to enjoy life, after dedicating her best years to the war and then to this farm?
Looking out at her elegant garden, Mathilde reflects on all she has achieved. Now in a newly independent country intoxicated by its own sense of freedom, she yearns for a radiant future.
But her babies are now grown up, and Mathilde is about to learn that life can take wild and unexpected turns.
90.
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo EN
ZimbabweDescription:
A remarkable literary debut--shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize! The unflinching and powerful story of a young girl's journey out of Zimbabwe and to America. Darling is only ten years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her friends steal guavas, try to get the baby out of young Chipo's belly, and grasp at memories of Before. Before their homes were destroyed by paramilitary policemen, before the school closed, before the fathers left for dangerous jobs abroad. But Darling has a chance to escape: she has an aunt in America. She travels to this ... continue