Senegal-born and Paris-based Mohamed Mbougar Sarr’s kaleidoscopic second novel, fluently translated by Alison Anderson, opens with a surreal scene. A naked man in a thicket of trees who represents “the end of one story, and the opening of the one to come”. His presence vividly evokes the circuitous nature of the refugee experience.
When 72 African men arrive in a small town in rural Sicily, we know they will get a mixed reception. Referred to as the “ragazzi” (the guys), they are looked after by the Santa Marta Association run by Sabrina, an immigration lawyer.
