{"product_id":"passage-of-tears","title":"Passage of Tears","description":"\u003cp\u003eDjibouti, a hot, impoverished little country on the Horn of Africa,  is a place of great strategic importance, for off its coast lies a  crucial passage for the world’s oil. In this novel by Abdourahman A.  Waberi, Djibril, a young Djiboutian voluntarily exiled in Montreal,  returns to his native land to prepare a report for an American economic  intelligence firm. Meanwhile, a shadowy, threatening figure imprisoned  in an island cell seems to know Djibril’s every move. He takes dictation  from his preaching cellmate known as his “Venerable Master,” but as the  words are put on the page, a completely different text appears—the life  of Walter Benjamin, Djibril’s favorite author. \u003ci\u003ePassage of Tears \u003c\/i\u003ecleverly mixes many genres and forms of  writing—spy novel, political thriller, diary (replete with childhood  memories), travel notebook, legends, parables, incantations, and  prayers. Djibril’s reminiscences provide a sense of Djibouti’s past and  its people, while a satire of Muslim fundamentalism is unwittingly  delivered through the other Djiboutian voice. Waberi’s inventive parody  is a lesson in tolerance, while his poetic observations reveal his love  and concern for his homeland. \u003ci\u003ePraise for the French Edition\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e“Disguised as a political thriller, \u003ci\u003ePassage of Tears \u003c\/i\u003eis above all a great novel of childhood, murderous identities, and exile.”—\u003ci\u003eLe Monde des Livres\u003c\/i\u003e “A gripping book, burning with urgency and tension.”—\u003ci\u003eTélérama.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nicole Ball","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42850070265917,"sku":"9780857425317","price":28.76,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0597\/7689\/2989\/files\/9780857425317_90b39e32-e13f-454d-b33e-4e57150b861d.jpg?v=1767070136","url":"https:\/\/www.palmleaf.com.au\/products\/passage-of-tears","provider":"Palmleaf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}