SO DISTANT FROM MY LIFE by Monique Ilboudo

Translated by Yarri Kamara

Jeanphi longs to escape the poverty, political squabbling and dead end future of his fictional African hometown, Ouabany, for a better life in Europe. He spends his days concocting schemes, setting them in motion and then watching hopelessly as they fail. That is until he is offered a ticket to freedom (aka France) by Elgep, an elderly white philanthropist who is in Ouabany to build vocational training centres. The only catch - Jeanphi, who is not gay, must agree to become the old man’s lover.

So Distant From My Life is a delightfully acerbic slice of social and political critique by Burkinabe writer, poet and human rights activist Monique Ilboudo. Through Jeanphi, she zeroes in on some lesser-known ravages of colonialism, and the deeply problematic nature of white-saviour philanthropy. Jeanphi remains optimistic throughout, and there’s an air of the picaresque to his French adventure. That Elgep is a warm and sympathetic character who genuinely loves Jeanphi adds a welcome layer of complexity. Indeed, when Elgep supports Jeanphi in his wish to return to Ouabany to pay it forward, it feels like a double redemption.

That is until the punch in the guts at the end. Hoo boy, I’m still reeling.

#WomenInTranslationMonth

So Distant From My Life by Monique Ilboudo (Tr. Yarri Kamara)
Tilted Axis, 2022
105 pages