By perceiving the heritage of his father Michel Adanson, Aglaé gets his hands on a dark side of the life of this naturalist caught up in his passions.
In 1750, cherishing the dream of establishing a universal botanical encyclopedia, he undertook a trip to Senegal to examine its flora; his research also led him to neglect his family obligations. But at the bend of the tracks lined with trees and exotic plants, here was planted in her mind the story of a young African who broke her destiny as a slave to take refuge on the borders of the country. This Senegalese refusing to be another victim of the island of Gorée, where the slave traders made the unfortunate cross “the door of the journey of no return”, did she exist? If so, where was she? Michel Adanson, escorted by local guides who will reveal close links with the legend, will then cultivate this new quest, trying to find this unique Senegalese flower in order to unravel its heavy secrets. But wouldn’t it be him who crossed the door of no return? The bushy narration serves a plot that at first glance is not very complex, but which manages to hold its breath over the pages. By drawing on the life of this botanist who really existed in the Age of Enlightenment, while adding a touch of irrationality, David Diop (Soul brother) does not sign a revolution, but demonstrates with force how men and women can achieve theirs.
The door of the journey of no return
David Diop
The threshold
252 pages