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Vendor
Liepman Literary Agency
Marc Koralnik
Original language
French

BEYOND THE RICE FIELDS

Naivoharisoa Patrick Ramamonjisoa

The first novel from Madagascar ever to be translated into English, Naivo's magisterial Beyond the Rice Fields delves into the upheavals of the nation's past as it confronted Christianity and modernity, through the twin narratives of a slave and his master's daughter.
Fara and her father's slave, Tsito, have been close since her father bought the boy after his forest village was destroyed. Now in Sahasoa, amongst the cattle and rice fields, everything is new for Tsito, and Fara at last has a companion. But as Tsito looks forward to the bright promise of freedom and Fara, backward to a dark, long-denied family history, a rift opens between them just as British Christian missionaries and French industrialists arrive and violence erupts across the country. Love and innocence fall away, and Tsito and Fara's world becomes enveloped by tyranny, superstition, and fear.

With captivating lyricism, propulsive urgency, and two unforgettable characters at the story's core, Naivo unflinchingly delves into the brutal history of nineteenth-century Madagascar. Beyond the Rice Fields is a tour de force that has much to teach us about human bondage and the stories we tell to face—and hide from—ourselves, each other, our pasts, and our destinies.

Naivoharisoa Patrick Ramamonjisoa, who goes by the pen name Naivo, has worked as a journalist in his home country of Madagascar and as a teacher in Paris. His first novel, Beyond the Rice Fields, was published in its French original version in March 2012 by Éditions Sépia in Paris

• THE FIRST-EVER TRANSLATION OF A NOVEL FROM MADAGASCAR INTO ENGLISH
• THE WINNER OF A PEN/HEIM TRANSLATION FUND GRANT
• AN IMPECCABLY RESEARCHED HISTORICAL NOVEL WITH A POSTCOLONIAL LENS
• AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT SLAVERY
• AN UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP ACROSS SOCIAL DIVIDES, A LA THE KITE RUNNER
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Published by Éditions Sépia

Comments

“Naivo has created a sharp and memorable tale of young lives caught in the crossfire of seismic events, and a significant novel that deservedly shines light on a little-known chapter of world history.” —Poornima Apte, Booklist

“Naivo gives dramatic intensity to the time of the Imerina monarchs, beginning in 1785 with the reign of Nampiona, a reformer king who declared, “the seas are the limits of my rice fields,” and ending in 1849, when the persecution of Christians and sympathizers reaches its peak under Queen Mavo. Translated from the French by Allison M Charette, this is a fascinating window into Malagasy history.” —Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture