The Gurugu Pledge by Juan Tomás  Ávila Laurel

The Gurugu Pledge

Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel

Mount Gurugu is an unforgiving backdrop and home to hundreds of Africans seeking asylum in Europe. The currency of the novel adds to its potency. Its serious content is tempered by the spark of hope of a better life for all the mountain’s inhabitants. It’s impossible not to be saddened by the plight of those stuck in the mountainous no-man’s land, yet the sense of solidarity is uplifting too.

Extract
'They told me I no longer have a country, that's what they said at the border: you've no country any more, now you're just black.'
Parallels
  • The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
  • Cities Without Palms by Tarek Eltayeb