Silence of the choir

This uneven novel­--originally published in 2017--from Senegalese author Sarr, who later won the Prix Goncourt for The Most Secret Memory of Men, follows a group of 27 Libyan refugees who are waiting anxiously in the small Sicilian town of Altino for their asylum hearings and the locals who keep tabs on them. Among the Sicilians engaging with the ragazzi (the guys, as they call the refugees) are Sandro Calvino, a reactionary nationalist and cryptoracist running for president of the immigration commission, and Maurizio Mangialepre, the town mayor, whose shifting political allegiances may leave the ragazzi vulnerable. Bearing witness at the center of the narrative is Jogoy, a former refugee who now lives in Sicily securely, and who has the unenviable position of cultural mediator between the residents and the Libyans. Tensions build when nationalists in Altino move to force the ragazzi out, blaming them for a burst septic tank and the rape and murders of three local women. A climax involving a statue that comes to life and a volcanic eruption evoke the magical realism and natural disasters found in the works of Gabriel García Márquez and William Faulkner, although it ends without resolving the difficult questions posed by the story. Sarr's admirers will be pleased, but his debut, Brotherhood, remains a better starting point for readers new to his work. (May)

Stories of transnational dislocation and resettlement. Originally published in French, this is the third novel by the celebrated Senegalese author Sarr to be translated into English. It takes as its starting point the arrival of 72 asylum seekers from Africa in rural Sicily. The men--dubbed "ragazzi" by the locals--have completed a dangerous journey across the Mediterranean and now await approval of their refugee claims. The "choir" of the title refers to the multiple characters who share their perspectives on these events, from Sicilian villagers to the refugees themselves. At the center of the narrative is an older immigrant named Jogoy Sèn, who acts as an interpreter between the locals and the recent arrivals. Alienated from both his old and new homes, and tortured by the memories of his homeland, his liminal condition makes him a representative figure for migrants across the globe. In Sèn's vivid diary entries, we read of the dangers involved in leaving one's country of origin in search of a better life, the resentment produced in local populations by the arrival of outsiders, and the various psychological torments of rootlessness. Particularly well rendered are the harrowing details of sea crossings: "Then came the storm. The waves picked up, towering things, and crashed furiously against the hull of the boat. It wasn't a blind fury: they seemed to have singled us out for their anger. They saw us. The sea wanted to kill us." Sarr's work ultimately offers an insightful overview of Europe's modern refugee crisis, aptly locating its causes in a combination of economic catastrophes, military conflicts, and natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. This is a timely work, profoundly relevant to our understanding of population shifts not only in Africa and Europe but around the globe. Dramatic, compelling writing on the dimensions of cultural disruption and the possibilities of reintegration. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.