Crossing the mangrove forest

A mysterious villager, Francis Sanchez, is found dead on the island of Guadeloupe. His death comes as no surprise, as the melancholic Sanchez himself had predicted his own end; but who he really was - a man who was both so charming and so hateful - no one knew.

During Sanchez's funeral, the mournful words and inner monologues of the villagers, like pieces of a puzzle, slowly form a whole picture. With great skill, Maryse Conde reveals the portrait of the mysterious hero and the hidden passions and desires of the villagers themselves.

Maryse Conde is a French author of Guadeloupe origin who was awarded the New Academy Award, known as the "alternative Nobel" for her exceptional contribution to literature in 2018.