Rémy Ngamije

Coming-of-age story set primarily in Namibia in the 1990s. Protagonist Séraphin and his family are living in Windhoek, after fleeing Rwanda in the wake of the genocide. The storyline follows Séraphin as he bickers with his brothers, attends school, makes friends, develops relationships, and tries to figure out what to do with his life. Séraphin experiences pressure from his family to become a lawyer after graduation – something he is not sure he wants to do.

It is an atypical migration chronicle. It examines the sad truth that migrants are not always welcomed no matter where in the world we find them. Though the novel contains humor, I would not call it funny. It examines serious topics, particularly racial issues in southern Africa soon after the apartheid laws were repealed.

The story itself is oriented toward a small group of college friends (the term “squad” comes to mind), who, tongue in cheek, name themselves the “High Lords of Empireland.” It contains strings of their text messages, which are bold and sarcastic. The characters come across as real people.

The “audience of one” appears to be Séraphin himself. Whenever a decision presents, he debates with himself through a chorus of voices. He is not actually hearing voices – these are just various versions of his conscience. He deals with common youthful challenges, such as insecurities, identity, and independence. Séra’s response is to develop a “persona” – he is the DJ with the cool playlists, the aloof “player” with many conquests, but the reader also sees his vulnerability and the way he is hurt when he gets close to a few romantic partners.

I very much enjoyed the author’s writing style – it is clever and expressive. He is quite the wordsmith. This is a debut by an obviously talented author.

I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher. It is due for publication August 10, 2021. … (més)

I was given an ARC by Netgalley. This is a glimpse into a life of an eldest child, Seraphin, whose family abruptly left Rwanda. The family eventually ends up in Namibia. The reader experiences his day to day life and educational journey as he tries to straddle just being a teenager and eventually college kid against being a refugee in Namibia while highlighting the societal constraints of not really being Namibians or South African (where he goes to university) and trying to please parents and himself along the way. I enjoyed this book. It sounds heavy but is delivered with a masterful use of description and a lot of humor.… (més)