At Night All Blood is Black

Description

Set during the First World War, At Night All Blood Is Black follows Alfa Ndiaye, a young Senegalese man fighting alongside French soldiers on the Western Front. When his closest friend is mortally wounded, Alfa is left struggling with grief, guilt, and the expectations placed upon him as a soldier.

Unable to accept what has happened, he begins repeatedly crossing into enemy territory at night. What initially appears to be an act of courage gradually becomes something much darker, earning him a disturbing reputation among his fellow soldiers.

Through Alfa’s increasingly fragmented thoughts, David Diop explores the brutal reality of war and the psychological effects of violence. The novel also examines colonialism, identity, masculinity, friendship, grief, sacrifice, and the dehumanising nature of warfare.