A review by msjoanna
God's Bits of Wood by Ousmane Sembène

5.0

Incredibly engrossing tale of a strike by the African workers against the colonialist railroad owners in French Senegal in 1947. In just 250 pages, the book manages to track more characters than I care to name and give intimate details of their lives and stories without bogging down a powerful narrative. This book is not only an indictment of colonialism, but also an examination of gender roles and the role that women played in supporting this strike. I'm amazed that this book hasn't gotten more recognition as an important and highly readable account of labor politics, colonialism, racism, and feminism. I'm very glad I somehow came to own a copy of this book. I'll be looking to pass this along to more readers.