Super Short Summary

Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah follows the lives of several Tanzanian individuals in the coastal village of Tanga during the German colonization, World War I, and its aftermath. Khalifa, an educated banker, marries Asha, who later suffers miscarriages. Ilyas, educated by Germans, rescues his sister Afiya from abusive relatives. Hamza, an ex-askari, falls in love with Afiya. Together, they navigate personal losses, colonial oppression, and the impacts of war, ultimately building new lives despite their traumas. The novel features violence by military groups and themes of child abuse and sexual harassment.