''L'Aventure ambiguë'' is a novel by

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

ese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane, first published in 1961, about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a boy from the Diallobé region of Senegal who goes to study in France. There, he loses touch with his Islamic faith and his Senegalese roots. It won the

Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire The Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire (one of the major literary prizes of Black Africa for Francophone Literature) is a literary prize presented every year by the ADELF, the Association of French Language Writers for a French original text ...

in 1962. A 1963 English translation of the novel was republished as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series in 1972.

Characters

Samba Diallo

Main character. Starts off as a young boy receiving an Islamic religious education in Senegal, then moves to Paris in order to continue his studies. In the process, he separates himself from his African roots and does not become fully French either. This book is about his quest for cultural/spiritual identity, and in the end he is torn between the two.

ThiernoTitle of respect in Pulaar

Samba Diallo's spiritual teacher in Senegal. Teaches him to recite the Qur'an by the sacred fire in his hut.

La Grande Royale

The chief's sister and a relative of Samba Diallo, she pushes for him to attend the French school in order to learn "how to conquer without being right."

The Knight

Samba Diallo's father who asks Samba to come home after studying in Paris.

References

Senegalese novels 1962 novels French-language novels African Writers Series {{Africa-novel-stub