This book emerges from the author's 35 years of research and thought about the Songhay people of Niger. This ethnographic novel follows the life of Omar Dia, the oldest son of a West African sorcerer. When his father falls ill and dies, the great sorcerer vomits a small metal chain onto his chest. Following the path of his ancestors, Omar swallows the chain, becoming his father's successor, which means that he takes on the sorcerer's burden. The book also describes how custodians of traditional knowledge are creatively adapting to the forces of globalization—all in a highly accessible narrative text.  

Paul Stoller is Professor of Anthropology at West Chester University, USA. He has been conducting anthropological research for more than 30 years in West Africa (Niger) and among African immigrants in New York City. In 2015, The American Anthropological Association awarded him the Anthropology and Media Award (AIME) in recognition of his longstanding Huffington Post blog that brings to the general public an anthropological perspective on politics, higher education, culture and media.