A Debut Novel Explores the Complexities of Sudan’s Civil War
“Ghost Season,” by Fatin Abbas, follows five characters in a border town surrounded by conflict.
In a recent conversation in Brussels about Sudanese literature, three of its eminent writers — Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, Hammour Ziada and Stella Gaitano — argued that it is the novelists of Sudan, not its historians or academics, who have mastered the courage to dive deep into Sudan’s wounds and taboos. Indeed, such bravery meets us instantly in this debut novel by Fatin Abbas.
Set in Saraaya, a town on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, the novel follows five dynamic characters in a compound owned by an American NGO, whose boss in Khartoum sees war as an opportunity to raise more money.
While the book begins slowly, it picks up halfway through, when Sudan’s complexities are realized through the stories of those living in the compound, and the author’s rich imagination comes to life. Here we have Mustafa, a 12-year-old local boy, who does the chores. He’s joined by Dena, from Khartoum, who grew up in Seattle and is in town to make a documentary. Alex is a white American from the suburbs of Cleveland who, as a geographer, is tasked with mapping Saraaya for the NGO. The compound is managed by William, a South Sudanese translator who doubles as a fixer. William’s ambitions in Khartoum were thwarted by racism from the north Sudanese. His job at the NGO brought him dignity and a decent income, and reignited his dream to build a home, which he now hopes to do with Layla, a cook in the compound. But as a northern nomad and a Muslim, Layla is beyond reach for Catholic, Nilotic William. Read More…
