The Child from Dindefello Falls - by Aminta Dupuis (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

One boy's tragedy becomes a nation's story of resilience, healing, and reforestation.

After his mother's death following a mysterious vaccination, young Sonlio flees the Dindefello highlands with a single vow: uncover the truth. Across savannas, cities, and continents, this Senegal novel follows his spiritual journey through West African wisdom, a shy Chinese friend named SunHué, and a world scarred by poisoned rivers, predatory industries, and forgotten children. Guided by visions, griot tales, and the quiet counsel of nature, Sonlio walks a razor's edge where social justice fiction, ecofiction, and spiritual ecofiction meet--choosing healing over hate, stewardship over despair.

As corporate power tightens its grip, Sonlio's path moves from floating schools to reforestation campaigns, from Dakar's beaches to a surveillance state abroad. This spiritual journey novel honors traditional knowledge, interfaith dialogue, and youth empowerment, while confronting corruption, extraction, and the human cost of globalization. In the end, forgiveness, friendship, and the land itself call him to become a healer--and a light for others.

"You'll love this book if you're searching for:
*West African fiction that blends magical realism Africa with urgent environmental themes
*Environmental justice fiction and ecoactivism stories rooted in indigenous knowledge
*Social justice fiction about community, courage, and anticorruption movements
*Crosscultural friendship novel exploring Senegal, China, and the global South
*A hopeful spiritual journey novel where nature, myth, and modern life converge

For readers of:
Ben Okri -- The Famished Road
*Antoine de SaintExupéry -- The Little Prince
*Paulo Coelho -- The Alchemist
*Mariama Bâ -- So Long a Letter
*Ousmane Sembène -- God's Bits of Wood
*Cheikh Hamidou Kane -- Ambiguous Adventure
*Imbolo Mbue -- How Beautiful We Were
*Boubacar Boris Diop -- Murambi, The Book of Bones

Themes explored:
*African literary fiction
*Senegal novel
*African comingofage novel
*Magical realism Africa
*Ecofiction
*Environmental justice fiction
*Spiritual journey novel
*Social justice fiction
*Crosscultural friendship novel,

About the Author

Aminta Dupuis is a literature professor, poet, and musician whose work is inspired by her profound admiration for Africa's beauty and her deep sorrow at the injustices it endures. In The Child from Dindefello Falls, Dupuis gives voice to the Senegalese people, offering readers a gateway to greater understanding and compassion for Africa's rich cultural and spiritual legacy. Translated from French by Marybeth Timmermann, The Child from Dindefello Falls marks Dupuis's first novel available to English-speaking readers.