Our Beautiful Darkness
A Graphic Novel
Ondjaki author Lyn Miller-Lachmann translator António Jorge Gonçalves illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Enchanted Lion Books
Published:10th Oct '24
Should be back in stock very soon
In a sudden blackout, two teens explore vulnerability and connection in Our Beautiful Darkness, a poignant novella set against Angola's civil war backdrop.
In Our Beautiful Darkness, a sudden blackout serves as the backdrop for an intimate encounter between two teenagers. As the lights go out, they find themselves enveloped in darkness, a setting that allows them to explore their vulnerabilities and share their dreams. Their conversation unfolds in the warm silence of the night, revealing personal stories and perhaps even leading to a first kiss. This fully illustrated YA novella, penned by celebrated Angolan author Ondjaki and illustrated by António Jorge Gonçalves, invites readers into a world where the absence of light fosters connection.
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of Angola's civil war in the 1990s, Our Beautiful Darkness intricately weaves the nation’s history with the personal narratives of its characters. The young boy's family stories come to life as he engages with a girl in his backyard, where the power outage transforms their ordinary lives into a realm of imagination and emotional depth. The darkness becomes a canvas for their thoughts and feelings, allowing them to confront their fears and desires without the constraints of everyday reality.
This novella is not just a tale of first love; it is a poignant exploration of storytelling itself. Through their dialogue, the characters reflect on the nature of connection, vulnerability, and the power of shared experiences. Ondjaki's narrative resonates with universal themes, making Our Beautiful Darkness a compelling read for anyone who has ever felt the thrill of intimacy in unexpected circumstances.
A Kirkus Best YA Book of 2024
A Five Books Best New Book for Teens of 2024
A Children’s Book Council Hot Off the Press Selection, August 2024
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Miller-Lachmann does a remarkable job of making this rich piece accessible to an English-language readership. Ondjaki’s poetic prose draws an achingly potent picture of two young people reaching for each other during a sudden moment of possibility, while the white text on the black pages and Gonçalves’ rough, white-on-black illustrations help create an immersive experience. As the best art does, this collaboration makes a very specific story—two young people, one night—feel universal. A brilliantly elemental exploration of the light that darkness can bring.”
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Arresting… The author’s spare storytelling focuses intensely on feelings and specific sensory experiences such as touch and limited sight. The reader is provided only enough visual information to ground them in the moment: a canopy of stars above a darkened skyline, the starlit silhouette of an owl in a tree, a vague interpretation of the eyes of the person the protagonist longs to kiss. Ondjaki’s prose is imbued with a touching sense of existential whimsy… This artful romanticism carries the characters through the darkness… in which they experience laughter, a light show, and at last, an end to their yearning.” * Publishers Weekly *
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “An existential exploration of the heart... While the boy and girl discuss their pain and the cruelty of war, they rejoice in the little things the darkness has brought them: closeness, silence, time with nothing else to do and a determination to make this night together as beautiful as possible. With such a stunning representation of not only pain and conflict, but also the joy that is still able to make its way through, Our Beautiful Darknessis sure to leave readers considering, appreciating, and reflecting on the world around them.” * Bookpage *
“This lyrical book follows two teens who are sitting and talking—about the sublime and the everyday—amid a blackout in Luanda during the the Angolan civil war. The stunning white-on-black art enhances the story’s intimate atmosphere. This work is both profound and accessible; it highlights the power of human attention and connection, of simply sitting and being together.” -- Laura Simeon, Kirkus Reviews Young Readers’ Editor * The Fully Booked Podcast *
"Capturing a fleeting moment of blossoming love, this graphic novel is a simple, poetic distillation of youth and hope amidst war... Ondjaki's language is simple, with not a word feeling wasted, and it is all the more evocative for it. His poetry feeds into the lilting, dreamlike quality of his fiction... There is a whimsy to his writing that Lyn Miller-Lachmann's translation from the Portuguese has kept intact... António Jorge Gonçalves' energetic illustrations streak their way across each page or double spread in an abstract, expressive way. As with the prose, the art is minimalist in style yet bold in execution. Constructed entirely in white against a black background, the artwork serves as a perfect visual embodiment of the story's core theme of finding light in the dark.... A singular, heartfelt offering that captures a quiet moment in time and celebrates its beauty."
* BookBrowse *A Five Books Best New Book for Teens of 2024! “The white on black illustrations and poetic dialogue combine to form a beautiful story of young love, of light in the darkness. A graphic novella that is at once intimate and profound.” * Five Boo
ISBN: 9781592704101
Dimensions: 216mm x 135mm x 22mm
Weight: 174g
126 pages