Who has never dreamed of following in the footsteps of his ancestors? To be the descendant of an extravagant and famous personality? In this illustrated novel, author Olivia Burton stages her own life, mixing autofiction, travel narrative and family novel. On the day of her father's funeral, Olivia learned that she was probably the descendant of a famous Sir Richard Francis Burton, English explorer, diplomat, spy and 19th century scholar. This intrepid Englishman in his... family tree, is a pretext for a crazy escape by the young woman from London to Zanzibar via Rwanda, an opportunity to draw a portrait of Africa past and present. All embellished with Mahi Grand's drawings and sprinkled with a touch of British humour. But how will this quest for identity end...?
Olivia Burton and Mahi Grand, An Englishman in my tree, Denoël Publishing, 2019.
