LA SARZÈNE

Between Montreal and Dakar, the story of a mother-daughter relationship, and a revolution

In the working-class, multiethnic neighbourhood of Montreal where she grew up, Coumba Fleur learned from her mother to be proud of her double identity, Québécoise and Senegalese. But her world is turned upside down when a boy who was a childhood friend joins an extreme-right party. A journey of discovery to the land of her ancestors not only helps her get over this betrayal, but also helps her to embrace the mission the marabouts had preordained for her. Despite the obstacles standing in her way, Coumba is destined to change the face of Quebec.

Born in Dakar in 1980, Ayavi Lake is a teacher and the mother of two children. In 2019, she published Le marabout (VLB Éditeur), a short story collection that attracted attention and is currently being adapted for the screen. Saracen is her muchanticipated first novel.