Concrete Flowers

Behind the bars on her window, Rosa Maria dreams of sunshine, love, calm, and leaving the city where she lives with her family. She suffers her father’s beatings, hides her femininity behind shapeless clothing, and pines for the beautiful Jason as she awaits her opportunity to flee. Meanwhile, her older brother is found dead in a nearby parking lot, and the neighborhood explodes in a riot against the police. Rosa Maria resolves to act before she is devoured by family intrigues and despair. Wilfried N'Sonde's powerful voice creates a palpable sense of the absence of hope and the social and racial isolation that pervade the Paris project, even as he never abandons the expansive capacity of individuals to dream of better lives beyond a seemingly hopeless reality.

Wilfried N'Sonde was born in 1969 in the Congo (Brazzaville) and grew up in France. He is widely considered one of the shining lights of the new generation of African and Afropean writers. His work has received considerable critical attention and been recognized with prestigious literary awards, including the Prix de Cinq Continents de la Francophonie and the Prix Senghor de la creation litteraire.

Karen Lindo is a scholar of French and Francophone literatures and currently teaches and translates in Paris.