In his English-language debut, acclaimed Cameroonian-Swiss author Max Lobe, employs terse, lively chapters, to chart the journey of teenagers Jean and Simon as they leave home and set out on an odyssey, in search of Jean’s brother, Roger, who has fled Douala to pursue his dream of soccer stardom in Europe. Moments of levity sit alongside turns of tragedy as Lobe vividly weaves the culture of Cameroon, from Makossa (a type of bass-heavy music), to tourne-dos (roadside restaurants) and the marrying of Camfranglais vernacular into the narrative—a hybrid tongue that blends French, English, Pidgin, and languages local to Cameroon, of which there are more than 200. Part travelogue and part coming-of-age tale, Lobe’s singular, comedic voice sparkles and anchors this memorable debut.
Situated at the intersection of grief, sexual identity, and familial bonds, A LONG WAY FROM DOUALA poignantly examines the universal forces that connect us.
