
” Khadra brings us deep into the hearts & minds of people living in unspeakable mental anguish.”--” Los Angeles Times” ”A skilled storyteller working at the height of his powers.”--” Times Literary Supplement” Like all the great storytellers of history, [ Khadra] espouses the contradictions of his characters, who carry in themselves the entirety of the human condition.”--” Le Point”A new masterpiece from the author of ” The Swallows of Kabul.” Frankfurt MD Kurt Krausmann is devastated by his wife`s suicide. Unable to make sense of what happened, Kurt agrees to join his friend Hans on a humanitarian mission to the Comoros. But, sailing down the Red Sea, their boat is boarded by Somali pirates & the men are taken hostage. The arduous journey to the pirates` desert hideout is only the beginning of Kurt`s odyssey. He endures imprisonment & brutality at the hands of captors whose failings are all too human. As the situation deteriorates, it is fellow prisoner, Bruno, a long-time resident in Africa, who shows Kurt another side to the wounded yet defiant continent he loves.A giant of francophone writing, Algerian author Yasmina Khadra takes current events as a starting point to explore opposing views & myths of Africa & the West, ultimately delivering a powerful message of friendship, resilience, & redemption. Yasmina Khadra is the pen name of Mohammed Moulessehoul, a former Algerian army officer & now director of the Algerian Cultural Center in Paris. In November 2013, he announced his candidacy for the presidency of Algeria.