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The Ardent Swarm

A Novel

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The Ardent Swarm

Written by: Yamen Manai, Lara Vergnaud - translator
Narrated by: Youssif Kamal
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About this listen

From an award-winning Tunisian author comes a stirring allegory about a country in the aftermath of revolution and the power of a single quest.

Sidi lives a hermetic life as a bee whisperer, tending to his beloved “girls” on the outskirts of the desolate North African village of Nawa. He wakes one morning to find that something has attacked one of his beehives, brutally killing every inhabitant. Heartbroken, he soon learns that a mysterious swarm of vicious hornets committed the mass murder - but where did they come from, and how can he stop them? If he is going to unravel this mystery and save his bees from annihilation, Sidi must venture out into the village and then brave the big city and beyond in search of answers.

Along the way, he discovers a country and a people turned upside down by their new post-Arab Spring reality as Islamic fundamentalists seek to influence votes any way they can on the eve of the country’s first democratic elections. To succeed in his quest, and find a glimmer of hope to protect all that he holds dear, Sidi will have to look further than he ever imagined.

In this brilliantly accessible modern-day parable, Yamen Manai uses a masterful blend of humor and drama to reveal what happens in a country shaken by revolutionary change after the world stops watching.

©2017 Yamen Manai. Translation © 2021 by Lara Vergnaud. Excerpt from “Anger” in “Selections from the Bestiary of Leonardo Da Vinci,” trans. Oliver Evans, Vol. 64, No. 254, of the Journal of American Folklore, is used with permission from the American Folklore Society (www.afsnet.org). (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Comedy Heartfelt Witty Mystery Suspense
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What listeners say about The Ardent Swarm

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    3 out of 5 stars
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It wasn't exactly good but it was fun

All the apid analogies fall flat, but Youssif Kamal makes it an enjoyable experience. There were a few cuts in the editing that weren't covered up so well, so I can't give him a 5/5. The read was solid.

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Engaging allegory

The allegory in this novel is engaging and accessible, even for those who might not be exceptionally well-versed in the history of the region.

The performance is solid, with great characterization.

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I don't like the ba language especially the F bomb

i hate bad language especially the F bomb so am NOT listening to this story

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