World Literature Today · 2017-11 · article
In this article from World Literature Today, the polyphonic novel ‘En compagnie des hommes’ (In the Company of Men) by Franco-Ivorian author Véronique Tadjo is explored as it addresses the 2014–2016 Ebola crisis in West Africa. The narrative intertwines factual accounts, legends, and poems to give voice to a diverse array of characters, including a doctor, nurse, gravedigger, and Ebola survivor. It also features personified discourses from the ancient Baobab tree and the virus itself, exploring the relationship between humanity and the environment. Through this layered approach, Tadjo examines the devastating humanitarian impact of the epidemic while calling for a renewed ecological consciousness and solidarity to prevent global health threats.