By the Sea follows Saleh Omar, an elderly man from Zanzibar who arrives in England seeking asylum under a false identity. Carrying only a small box of incense and memories of his past, Saleh enters a world of immigration interviews, bureaucracy, and isolation while trying to rebuild his life in exile.
The novel alternates between Saleh’s perspective and that of Latif Mahmud, another Zanzibari living in England. As their stories unfold, hidden family histories, betrayals, and long-standing grievances gradually emerge, revealing how personal lives have been shaped by migration, colonial history, and displacement.
Abdulrazak Gurnah explores exile not only as physical separation from home but also as emotional and cultural dislocation. By the Sea is a quiet, deeply reflective novel about memory, identity, and the search for belonging. Buy in Kenya with fast delivery.
What you’ll learn
Themes of exile and migration
Asylum, identity, and displacement
Zanzibar’s historical and cultural context
Memory, family, and reconciliation
Postcolonial experience and belonging
Who should read it
Readers who enjoy postcolonial literature
Fans of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novels
Anyone interested in migration and identity
Readers who like reflective literary fiction
Why buy By the Sea from Readers’ Republik
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Related books:
Admiring Silence – Abdulrazak Gurnah
Gravel Heart – Abdulrazak Gurnah
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