Le ministre et le griot

by Francis Bebey

A novel written in French by a well-known Cameroonian writer & musician, about why the Mother of the Finance Minister in a fictional African nation, does not want to allow the Prime Minister to attend her son's engagement party, despite the fact that the man is also her son's best friend. Clue: the PM is from a griot family: traditional bards, musicians, & storytellers, and "you don't invite a griot to your table". The problem quickly becomes a matter of State.