Super Short Summary

In Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah, published in 1994, a young Tanzanian boy named Yusuf is sold to Uncle Aziz, a traveling merchant, to settle his family's debt. At the merchant's shop, Yusuf learns about life's complexities and goes on a trade expedition into Africa's interior, where he witnesses the impact of colonialism and human desperation. Nominee for the Booker and Whitbread Prizes, the novel, written by Nobel Laureate Gurnah, explores East African cultures and colonial exploitation. Exploitation, violence, and instances of child trafficking and abuse are depicted.