Alhaji (novel)

"Alhaji" (1992) is a novel by Ebou Dibba. It is set in The Gambia and Senegal. It was published by Macmillan of London.

Plot Summary

Principally, the novel concerns a teenage boy of sixteen years. His name is not given until the last page of the novel. The boy is not particularly involved in school, particularly because he is unimpressed by his teacher, the disagreeable Quasi. The boy's favorite companion is a horse, Alhaji.

A businessman named Alhaji Kebba contacts the boy and wishes to buy and/or borrow the horse Alhaji. While Alhaji's owner is reluctant to sell or loan him, the businessman is persistent. Alhaji Kebba uses various methods to try to persuade the teenage boy, including the use of a prostitute.

Later, two agents introduce themselves to the boy. One is Quasi, who has been posing as a teacher. Another is Nicholls. The men have been tracking Alhaji Kebba's illegal activities. Quasi and Nicholls have a plan to catch Alhaji Kebba, and they recruit the teenage boy to help them.