For some time, I have been planning to read the books of 2021 Literature Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah but was unsure which one to start with. Following a few google recommendations, I zeroed in on his 2020 historical fiction, Afterlives and wasn’t disappointed.
The story, set in East Africa more than a century ago when it was colonized by superpowers from Europe mainly the German and later the British, spans over WWI through WWII, and culminates in the latter part of 20th century. The author expertly weaves into this war story the happenings in the mundane existence of a few ordinary people from an unnamed, nondescript town (presently a part of Tanzania) and moves beyond war, making it an engrossing historical fiction.
Through the book, Gurnah traces the lives of two young local Africans – Iliyas and Hamsa – who voluntarily join German Schutztruppe (German Colonial troops in East Africa) as Askaris (soldiers) to fight the war for Germans. Unknown to and far away from each other, their future gets intertwined, touching the lives of their near and dear ones.
A bit slow to piques one’s interest in the beginning, the story picks up while giving the reader a glimpse of the German soldiers at war. Their rare triumphs, many disappointments, and violent streaks boomerang on the reader. The war story is cut short along with one of the protagonists Hamza’s sudden departure (due to the explosive outburst of one of his seniors and the empathy of his officer-in-charge) from the battalion. The reader too departs from the horrors of the war except for its indirect impacts like economic downturn from which the nation as a whole suffers. Hereon, the reader follows Hamza’s life with fascination and gets hooked on to the lives of all those around him – Afiya, Khalifa, Iliyas and others.
Khalifa, whom the author introduces in the opening pages as a man who can read and write, is a pleasant boy of Indian origin sent to take care of the accounting work of a merchant; he ends up marrying the merchant’s niece Bi Asha. Unable to bear children, Bi Asha turns cynical and spiritual.
Iliyas: Khalifa makes friends with Iliyas, a German-speaking young man, who appears from nowhere into their small town. Iliyas, as a young boy, is kidnapped by German soldiers and made to work on a German farm; he is also sent to a German school – the reason for his love for anything that is German to such an extent that he loves the idea of Germans colonizing his own country. During the war, he joins the German Forces – the Schutztruppe- as an Askari.
Hamza, on the other hand, is sold by his parents to a merchant when he is too young. He joins as an askari to get out of his miserable existence. The reader gets to trace the happenings during the war through Hamza’s life and his journey during the war along with the German battalion. Hamsa, being a local, is ill-treated and beaten by a superior in violent anger. Luckily for him, he is nursed back to health by a pastor and his wife while the rest of this battalion moves on to fight a losing battle.
Afiya: After years of recuperating, doing odd jobs, Hamza too lands in the same village of Khalifa. Before long, he falls in love with Iliyas’ sister Afiya who is sheltered and taken care of by Khalifa and his wife for their love for Iliyas. Afiya and Hamza are happily married and have a child whom they name Iliyas in memory of her brother who never returns from the war.
Younger and educated Iliyas, after fighting the battle of his own demons during his growing up years, takes it on him to track the whereabouts of his namesake maternal uncle.
The fact that Gurnah, a post-war East African, lived in Tanzania until 1960, makes this story more realistic. Written lucidly with no great artistic prose, the book will touch a chord in every individual whose country had been invaded/looted by Western powers.
Who should read: War story enthusiasts and historical fiction aficionados. Another lot who would enjoy the book is those who find happiness in reading about the daily grind of ordinary humans. I’m not much of a war-story reader; still, I enjoyed the book though it took some time for me to warm up. The storytelling is simple in its presentation and language.
What is not in favor: The slow beginning that could put off many a reader. Does my feeling that the book ended in a hurry ring a bell with others?
Sudhas_Musings 
I don’t like wars but there seems to be no escaping and recent Russia-Ukraine war is no exception. But the misery experienced by the survivors if captured may focus on reducing the number of future wars. The books like “Afterlives”, though a fiction would have telling real life experience of ordinary people in any war torn country.
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Agree with you. Mr.Gurnah is a post-war East African. He must have seen and felt the fallout of war all around him.
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