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Loin de mon père
Nina revient dans son pays, la Côte d’Ivoire, pour y enterrer son père et organiser ses funérailles. Face à la famille, aux parents, aux amis, aux voisins, Nina est seule. Le pays qu’elle a quitté depuis si longtemps lui échappe, les règles et les usages lui restent obscurs, et il s’agit pourtant de trouver le ton juste, l’attitude convenable face aux comportements des uns et des autres, aux mesquineries, aux convoitises.
Pour des raisons protocolaires, les funérailles sont plusieurs fois ajournées mais, dans ce pays où gronde la guerre civile, dans cette ville d’Abidjan en proie au chaos, Nina tente d’accepter, d’assumer son impuissance et de retrouver une appartenance à jamais perdue. Malgré sa posture tout à la fois proche et étrangère, elle investit avec dignité la place qui sera désormais la sienne en cette maison paternelle.
Quel est le pouvoir des femmes au sein de la famille, jusqu’où peut aller l’ambiguïté de leur comportement face à la polygamie, l’héritage familial ou les choix de toute une vie ? D’une voix toujours plus déterminée, Véronique Tadjo questionne l’Afrique d’aujourd’hui, entre rituels et dérives politiques, destin individuel et portrait d’une culture ancestrale
Pour des raisons protocolaires, les funérailles sont plusieurs fois ajournées mais, dans ce pays où gronde la guerre civile, dans cette ville d’Abidjan en proie au chaos, Nina tente d’accepter, d’assumer son impuissance et de retrouver une appartenance à jamais perdue. Malgré sa posture tout à la fois proche et étrangère, elle investit avec dignité la place qui sera désormais la sienne en cette maison paternelle.
Quel est le pouvoir des femmes au sein de la famille, jusqu’où peut aller l’ambiguïté de leur comportement face à la polygamie, l’héritage familial ou les choix de toute une vie ? D’une voix toujours plus déterminée, Véronique Tadjo questionne l’Afrique d’aujourd’hui, entre rituels et dérives politiques, destin individuel et portrait d’une culture ancestrale
- GenresFictionAfricaIvory Coast
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Véronique Tadjo
78 books60 followersVéronique Tadjo (born 1955) is a writer, poet, novelist, and artist from Côte d'Ivoire. Having lived and worked in many countries within the African continent and diaspora, she feels herself to be pan-African, in a way that is reflected in the subject matter, imagery and allusions of her work.
Born in Paris, Véronique Tadjo was the daughter of an Ivorian civil servant and a French painter and sculptor. Brought up in Abidjan, she travelled widely with her family.
Tadjo completed her BA degree at the University of Abidjan and her doctorate at the Sorbonne in African-American Literature and Civilization. In 1983, she went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., on a Fulbright research scholarship.
In 1979, Tadjo chose to teach English at the Lycée Moderne de Korhogo (secondary school) in the North of Côte d'Ivoire. She subsequently became a lecturer at the English department of the University of Abidjan until 1993.
In the past few years, she has facilitated workshops in writing and illustrating children's books in Mali, Benin, Chad, Haiti, Mauritius, French Guyana, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa.
She has lived in Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi and London. Tadjo is currently based in Johannesburg, where since 2007 she has been head of French Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Tadjo received the Literary Prize of L'Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique in 1983 and the UNICEF Prize in 1993 for Mamy Wata and the Monster, which was also chosen as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, one of only four children's books selected. In 2005, Tadjo won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire.
(from Wikipedia)
Born in Paris, Véronique Tadjo was the daughter of an Ivorian civil servant and a French painter and sculptor. Brought up in Abidjan, she travelled widely with her family.
Tadjo completed her BA degree at the University of Abidjan and her doctorate at the Sorbonne in African-American Literature and Civilization. In 1983, she went to Howard University in Washington, D.C., on a Fulbright research scholarship.
In 1979, Tadjo chose to teach English at the Lycée Moderne de Korhogo (secondary school) in the North of Côte d'Ivoire. She subsequently became a lecturer at the English department of the University of Abidjan until 1993.
In the past few years, she has facilitated workshops in writing and illustrating children's books in Mali, Benin, Chad, Haiti, Mauritius, French Guyana, Burundi, Rwanda and South Africa.
She has lived in Paris, Lagos, Mexico City, Nairobi and London. Tadjo is currently based in Johannesburg, where since 2007 she has been head of French Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Tadjo received the Literary Prize of L'Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique in 1983 and the UNICEF Prize in 1993 for Mamy Wata and the Monster, which was also chosen as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century, one of only four children's books selected. In 2005, Tadjo won the Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 19, 2019
This is the first novel I read from author Véronique Tadjo, which resembles in certain ways novels written by African authors, who have been living a long time outside of their native country. It is about a woman in her thirties, who returns to her native Côte d'Ivoire at the death of her father, she hasn't seen in years. During the month long funeral of her well known father, at first she's familiar with what she sees and everything seems to be alright, but slowly she discovers from fresh the new realities of the country and society she missed while living abroad. Futhermore, she discovers new elements about her father she has not known while alive and away from him and even while she lived with him as a young girl.
The novel is concise, well written and easy to read, but I felt that the novel was too short. The characters weren't developed enough. The sub-stories were too brief and only scratched the surface, not detailed in depth. For example, the leading character found a book on sorcery belonging to her father assuming easily he was into sorcery and medecine, however, this is too simple and wasn't more investigation on the subject. The leading character found out her father had other children from other women, but she didn't even try to know the whole of the stories such as with whom, why, and what circumstances.
This novel is an interesting short read, but keeps readers hungry for a lot more developments of characters and stories.
The novel is concise, well written and easy to read, but I felt that the novel was too short. The characters weren't developed enough. The sub-stories were too brief and only scratched the surface, not detailed in depth. For example, the leading character found a book on sorcery belonging to her father assuming easily he was into sorcery and medecine, however, this is too simple and wasn't more investigation on the subject. The leading character found out her father had other children from other women, but she didn't even try to know the whole of the stories such as with whom, why, and what circumstances.
This novel is an interesting short read, but keeps readers hungry for a lot more developments of characters and stories.
January 18, 2021
After her father' death, Nina - a Paris based photographer - returns to Cote d'Ivoire for the funeral. In Cote d'Ivoire she discovers that her father who once was an influential figure in the country had some secrets that he had kept esp. from her and in the course of revealing these secrets Nina is forced to question the picture she had not only of her father but also of her late French mother. She is also confronted with some people from her past including her ex-boyfriend and an artist friend and their takes on life in Cote d'Ivoire.
But the story does not only focus on Nina's perspective and her struggle with the realities of life. Instead, it also trails from her to her father revealing his difficulties coping with the changes that are brought about by political unrest at the turn of the millenium.
Though relatively short, the novel manages to raise a lot of questions concerning the relationship between children and parents esp. in migrant families and it provides an insight into a country in turmoil in which traditions are still held high when it comes to such occasions as funerals.
Though I think the novel is rounded off well and hardly leaves any loose threads, it has a huge potential for more stories that can still be told about this family!
But the story does not only focus on Nina's perspective and her struggle with the realities of life. Instead, it also trails from her to her father revealing his difficulties coping with the changes that are brought about by political unrest at the turn of the millenium.
Though relatively short, the novel manages to raise a lot of questions concerning the relationship between children and parents esp. in migrant families and it provides an insight into a country in turmoil in which traditions are still held high when it comes to such occasions as funerals.
Though I think the novel is rounded off well and hardly leaves any loose threads, it has a huge potential for more stories that can still be told about this family!
December 8, 2022
Stark trea!
February 15, 2021
It’s hot, humid and dusty in Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire. Nina’s been there for a month, going through the motions of her estranged father’s funeral. Her sojourn makes her confront her past, identity and relationship to her country and family. This is a masterfully told stories, were the voices of the women characters who are noticeably absent resonate the loudest: Nina’s white artistic French mom, and her rebellious and angry sister, how they connected or not to Côte D’Ivoire and how that defined how they were, how they wanted to live. Nina is definitely caught in between and pulled by her French-ness as well as Ivorian traditions and loyalties. If you liked Caucasia by Danzy Senna, you might want to give this one a try.
November 11, 2021
Blev väldigt berörd av den här boken då den handlar att ta farväl av sin far. Nina som är bokens huvudperson bor i ett annat land och hade inte kunnat besöka sin far under tiden han var sjuk då det varit oroligheter i Elfenbenskusten. Detta berör verkligen mig, då jag kan känna igen mig. Under förberedelserna inför begravningen får Nina reda på saker om faderns liv som är skakande för henne men hon kommer till slut fram till ändå att hon älskar sin far som han var, även om den fina fasaden har spruckit.
December 27, 2020
Est-ce-qu’on choisit la famille ? Est-ce-qu’on peut vraiment connaître quelqu’un ? Est-ce qu’on peut vivre entre deux mondes ? Véronique Tadjo pose ses questions dans son roman qui parle d’une femme qui retourne à Abidjan pour les obsèques de son père. Pour Nina, les mondes entrent on collision une fois qu’elle mit ses pieds dans la maison familiale. Un comble que beaucoup entre nous vont bien comprendre.
March 13, 2022
3.5
This is an interesting novel from an author I had never read before. It centres around a woman coming back to her home country after her father's death for the funeral and with getting his affairs in order. It's a really interesting look at how our perceptions of someone can be perceived when we only know part of the story.
This is an interesting novel from an author I had never read before. It centres around a woman coming back to her home country after her father's death for the funeral and with getting his affairs in order. It's a really interesting look at how our perceptions of someone can be perceived when we only know part of the story.
December 31, 2025
I read this book for my reading-of-the-world project (Côte d’Ivoire). This is a beautiful story about identity, gender, and tradition. It was especially compelling to me as the story considers implications of a cultural tradition of polygamy in a way that was enlightening and more thought-provoking than any ethnography I have read on the topic.
April 6, 2024
A very beautiful book that touches on so many topics such as love, loss, being an outsider-insider, cultural clashes, memory, family, the present, the past, the future, and more.
January 18, 2025
a short introspection on being both far spatially and interpersonally from one’s family as a woman comes home to the ivory coast to bury her father
August 2, 2013
A few years ago I read Tadjo's Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice, which remains one of the most intriguing - not necessarily best, though it's very good, but intriguing - ruminations on the idea of myth I've read. It takes an old West African folk tale and starts retelling it, turning it inside out and reimagining it in every standard plot available, looking for a way out, looking for a story that won't trap her...
Far From My Father is in a way a very different novel, a completely modern tale of a young French-Ivorian woman who comes back to a war-torn Cote d'Ivoire to bury her father after he dies, and comes to realise she knows a lot less about both him and her supposed home country than she always thought she did...
Yet it's once again a story of a story, of the malleability and inscrutability of history. It's first and foremost a deftly told family saga, two generations caught in changing times trying to balance where they come from with where they're trying to go. Nina's parents are of a generation who changed everything; the free-thinking French girl who chose her own way, the educated post-Colonial Season Of Migration To The North-style African who looked to build a new world... and yet they can't simply draw a line and say the new world starts here, neither discard the past or live in it entirely. It's a confusing legacy they leave their children, caught between two worlds, a revolution half-finished and ripe with corruption as everyone tries to make their own way. You can ask questions of the past, but you have to fill in the answer yourself.
Don't forget to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.
And damn, Tadjo's prose is neat - "Outside, the sun shone with impunity."
Far From My Father is in a way a very different novel, a completely modern tale of a young French-Ivorian woman who comes back to a war-torn Cote d'Ivoire to bury her father after he dies, and comes to realise she knows a lot less about both him and her supposed home country than she always thought she did...
Yet it's once again a story of a story, of the malleability and inscrutability of history. It's first and foremost a deftly told family saga, two generations caught in changing times trying to balance where they come from with where they're trying to go. Nina's parents are of a generation who changed everything; the free-thinking French girl who chose her own way, the educated post-Colonial Season Of Migration To The North-style African who looked to build a new world... and yet they can't simply draw a line and say the new world starts here, neither discard the past or live in it entirely. It's a confusing legacy they leave their children, caught between two worlds, a revolution half-finished and ripe with corruption as everyone tries to make their own way. You can ask questions of the past, but you have to fill in the answer yourself.
Don't forget to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others.
And damn, Tadjo's prose is neat - "Outside, the sun shone with impunity."
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews