When the Plums Are Ripe

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The novel "When the Plums Are Ripe" begins in August 1940, marking the onset of World War II for Cameroon, as its tremors shake the country in Central Africa and profoundly alter the lives of its people. Set in various locations, the story follows the turbulent fates of the residents of the village of Edea in southern Cameroon. It intertwines the absurd and adventurous tale of four young men who enlist as soldiers in the French army, only to be used as cannon fodder in the desert war against Italians and Germans. Alongside this, it explores the changing fortunes of three friends, their wives, and families, whose daily lives are haunted by violence and loss, yet still pulsate with life, eroticism, friendship, and the continuation of their dreams. Through grim humor and a rich, burlesque language, Patrice Nganang narrates how the people of Edea become embroiled in the events of war while secretly advancing their ideas of protest and independence.