ISBN 9781946395474 | paperback | $19.99 | publication date June 2021
Madame Livingstone is a historical fiction story of adventure and friendship against the backdrop of World War I. Based on the true story of two vastly different men— one Belgian, one African— who take on one impossible mission: the sinking of a German battleship in the Congo.
Aviator Gaston Mercier, lieutenant in the Royal Belgian Army, arrives at Lake Tanganyika, Congo in 1915 on orders to sink a critical German warship, the Graf Von Götzen. To find out the ship’s exact position, he is assigned a guide, an enigmatic, mixed-race African and the supposed son of the famous explorer, David Livingstone, who is nicknamed “Mrs. Livingstone” for the Scottish kilt he wears.
Little by little, while the war between Belgian and German colonial powers rages on and the pair hunt down the Graf Von Götzen, the young Belgian pilot learns more about the land around him from Mrs. Livingstone and discovers the irrevocable and tragic effects of colonialism on the local people.
Translated from the French by Ivanka Hahnenberger
Read an excerpt from Madame Livingstone
Reviews
“Baruti’s sun-washed realistic art lingers on lush tropical landscapes, while darkening into foreboding blues and grays for night maneuvers. Based on a true incident, this beautifully rendered and rousing graphic novel will give readers naïve about Belgian colonialism an entry point for understanding viewpoints and outcomes.” — Library Journal
“The complexities of war are explored with a curious what-if twist in this elegantly drawn adventure. […] a well-researched drama of human connections forged in an inhumane period.” —Publishers Weekly
“Madame Livingstone uses a World War I conflict in the Congo as the backdrop for an exciting adventure, glimpsing into the country’s history of colonial exploitation. […] Madame Livingstone is a rousing historical tale. Its excellent, authentic art is attentive to details when picturing boats, airplanes, uniforms, and Congolese clothing and landscapes.”—Foreword Reviews
“Not a simple action-oriented graphic representation, the colourful and often lurid visuals carry readers into places that their own minds may well have resisted. One can see the environment, visualize the territory, and conjure the many overarching and continual racist tensions. […] This can be an engaging and conflicting experience that increases the adventure and supports Barly Baruti’s statement: ‘Comics are good dialogue.'” —Historical Novels Review
“[T]hese are some of the most magnificent images of the African landscape ever seen in an album of this kind. The layout is innovative and creative, and should be a reference to readers and collectors of comic strips alike. […] A fascinating read, extraordinary imagery, and a very lively, convincing translation from the French by Ivanka Hahnenberger.”—Naomi Morgan, Professor of French at the University of the Free State
“There have been countless narratives about people who are “torn” between two racial heritages, but for the most part, Madame Livingstone felt like a fresh and nuanced character study. Livingstone knows exactly who he is; he has an affinity for his famous father and Scottish heritage, but his central motivation is to protect his African family and community and see the European war in Central Africa end as quickly as possible. The result felt like a nuanced meditation on the forms resistance can take within a colonial system. […] [A] unique and important graphic novel.” —2021 VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award Committee
About the author
Born in Douala, Cameroon in 1968 and raised in France, Christophe Cassiau-Haurie is a library curator and comics specialist. He is currently Director of Public Services for the National and University Library of Strasbourg, after having held several positions in Africa including time in Mauritius and five years in the DRC. He also serves as director of the comic book collection of L’Harmattan, one of the largest French book publishers. Cassiau-Haurie is the author of several articles and collective works on the state of publishing and comics in Africa. He has authored and contributed to numerous graphic novels in French, most of which are based on African histories. He did his postgraduate studies in African Studies and Public Law.
About the Illustrator
Baruti Kandolo Lilela, better known by his pen name Barly Baruti, is a renowned Congolese cartoonist. He was born in 1959 in Kisangani into a family of painters. After studying pedagogy, Baruti worked at French cultural centers in Kisangani and Kinshasa, where he produced his first comic work, an environmental comic titled Le temps d’agir. He has been described by the BBC as “the Congolese author best known outside his country.” Baruti is the co-founder of the Atelier de Création et de l’Initiation à l’Art (Creative Workshop for an Initiation to Art) to encourage talented youth in Kinshasa. He has lived in France and Belgium, where he apprenticed with several renowned comic artists. He currently lives in Kinshasa.
About the translator
Ivanka Hahnenberger is a Franco-American citizen who has led an international career in business management, finance, film, television and digital production. Ivanka started her professional career as an investment-banking analyst. From there she became a production accountant, working on commercials then feature films with a specialty in special effects and animation. She became an associate producer and eventually a producer for international film and television productions and co-productions, primarily in animation. Then, in 2003, she co-founded Roving Stage Productions, a production and consulting company focusing on mobile and new media content, which she still manages. In 2007 she bought a brand licensing company VIP which she transformed into VIP BRANDS a comics agency, translation and consulting company. As an agency they represent world English rights for German, French and African comics publishers. As a consultancy they organize world comics events. Hahnenberger translates comics, children’s books, catalogs, business proposals marketing plans and much more from French and German into English. She has translated Blue is the Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh and An Olympic Dream by Reinhard Kleist, amongst other books as well as Nudge theory white papers and several catalogs. She holds a Master’s degree in International Development with a specialization in Intellectual Property. She has lived in over ten different cities.