Diop writes the novel in the first person, providing us with access to Alfa’s voice and inner thoughts. When does this provide insight? When does Alfa become an unreliable narrator or otherwise obscure the reader’s view? Why does Diop choose this narrative perspective?

The novel’s French title, Frère d’âme, is a phrase that means something like Spirit Brother or Brother of the Soul. Anna Moschovakis chose to name the translation after a line from Chapter 3, At Night All Blood Is Black. How do these differing titles shape different reader expectations before starting the book? How do they impact its themes?

Chapters 16 through 19 contain detailed recollections of Alfa and Mademba’s childhoods. What is the effect of Diop’s choice to situate these memories here, in the latter half of the novel, rather than earlier?