Le commandant du fleuve by Ubah Cristina Ali Farah tells the story of Yabar, an 18-year-old living in Rome who is trying to understand his place in the world. Caught between his Somali roots and his Italian life, Yabar struggles with questions of identity, family, and belonging. The novel begins with a traditional Somali story about a river and crocodiles, which serves as a metaphor for Yabar's journey to uncover the truth about his family's past. His father is absent, and his mother is hesitant to share details about their history, leaving Yabar to piece together the story on his own. As the summer progresses, Yabar's life takes unexpected turns that challenge his assumptions about his family and himself. He discovers a long-held family secret that changes how he sees his parents and his heritage. The novel explores themes of racism, displacement, and the experience of being part of a diaspora, offering a deeply personal look at what it means to belong to more than one culture. Ubah Cristina Ali Farah, the author, was born in 1973 to a Somali father and an Italian mother. She fled Somalia during the civil war in 1991 and has since become a significant voice in Italian literature. Now living in Brussels, she brings her unique perspective to her writing, blending her dual heritage into her storytelling. Her work often reflects on the complexities of identity and the challenges faced by those living between cultures. Le commandant du fleuve will be published by Zulma on 1st October 2026. The novel promises to be a powerful exploration of personal and cultural identity, offering readers a window into the experiences of those navigating multiple worlds.