One ocean, two seas, three continents

Inspired by true events, the story follows the fate of Nsaku Ne Vunda, a young African from the Kingdom of the Congo who becomes a Catholic priest and is chosen to be his country's first envoy to Rome to meet the Pope in the early 17th century. His journey unexpectedly takes him across three continents - Africa, America and Europe - and becomes a painful pilgrimage through the world of colonialism, the slave trade and the clash of cultures. The spiritual mission gradually becomes a testimony to the suffering and violence perpetrated by the slave traders on Ne Vundo's countrymen.

In the novel, the author combines a historical reconstruction of real events with lyrical language, Christian and African spirituality, creating one of the most important works of contemporary Francophone literature. The novel was, among other things. awarded the Swiss Prix Ahmadou-Kourouma.