Mission to Kala

Set in late colonial Cameroon, the story follows Jean-Marie Medza, a young man returning home after failing his Baccalauréat exam. Anticipating shame, he is instead met with unexpected prestige as a scholar. Tasked with a mission to the remote village of Kala, he must navigate the complexities of village life to retrieve a young woman who has escaped her burdensome marriage. This comic novel, awarded the Prix Sainte-Beuve in 1958, explores themes of identity, societal expectations, and the contrast between urban and rural life.