Overview
Region
West Africa
Guinea
Era
Colonial
Language
French
Genre
Autobiography
About This Work
Camara Laye's lyrical memoir of his childhood in Kouroussa, Guinea — his father's blacksmith shop filled with gold and spirits, the rituals of initiation, and the bittersweet departure for school in France.
Literary Significance
Prix Charles Veillon; one of the most beloved works of francophone African literature; a classic of childhood memoir