Hostages

Finnish journalist and filmmaker Taina Tervonen, author of The Bone Whisperers, returns to her roots in Senegal to investigate the mystery behind a  group of culturally sensitive artifacts that had been captured by the French army in the late 19th century. Among these objects of particular interest were a sword and scabbard that belonged to the Cheik Oumar Tall, a religious leader who waged a holy war against the French occupiers. This sword was taken from the hands of Tall’s nine year-old grandson Abdoulaye, captured by a French officer who then had him sent to France. In Hostages, Tervonen has unraveled an historic mystery in which  the epic and poignant story of the repatriation of these stolen artifacts is brought to light.  Her riveting investigation reveals a tragic case of inhumanity and cultural erasure that will appeal to readers of historical inquiry.

Book Topics

French Colonial history in Africa

West Africa

Musee Quai Bramly

Cheik Oumar Tall

Toutcouleurs

French Foreign Legion

Senegal

Colonial rule in Victorian era

Emmanual Macron

Repatriation of cultural artifacts

French Military History Museum

Le Havre