The black child grows up in a village in Upper Guinea where the marvelous rubs shoulders with reality on a daily basis. His father, a blacksmith, works gold to the rhythm of the griots' harp and incantations to the spirits of fire and wind. Respected by all, his mother enjoys mysterious powers over people and things. She knows how to deflect spells and keep crocodiles away from the Niger River. The eldest of the family, the little boy is destined to take over from his father in the workshop and, above all, to perpetuate the spirit of his caste within the village. But his powerful desire to learn will inevitably lead him to other horizons, far from the traditions and customs of his people... A timeless book that has established itself as a classic of our time.
