Afterlives Summary
Abdulrazak Gurnah

Afterlives Overview

In Abdulrazak Gurnah's novel Afterlives, after Hamza flees the war on the East African coast, he returns to the town in which he once lived. Disoriented and displaced, he welcomes the friendship of his new colleague, Khalifa. Khalifa takes Hamza in and grants him a sense of family and belonging he has not known before. Set in the colonial German era, the narrative is backgrounded by ongoing rebellions and violent conflicts. The characters must learn to rely on one another's given and found families for support and survival throughout this tumultuous time. The novel explores themes including loss, family, and trauma.