Discretion

“A captivating tale of Oufoula Sindede, an African diplomat in a passionless marriage who falls madly in love with Marguerite, a New York City artist.” —Essence

Dutifully married to lovely Nerida, Oufoula goes through the motions, formally keeping his distance from the woman with whom he shares his bed. And yet there is a deeper, buried passion within him that will lead him to question which values he holds sacred and which can be sacrificed.

Despite his quiet marriage, the memory of a fiery love affair triggers Oufoula to entangle himself in the life of another woman, a Jamaican-born painter named Marguerite. Soon he discovers that Marguerite is nothing like his quick old flames or his gentle wife, Nerida—Marguerite is much more.

And so begins a whirlwind affair, spanning over twenty years, between a young woman who wants order and love and a man who is torn between the honors of his profession and his dishonorable love life; the old African customs of polygamy and the American dream; the passion for a mistress and the duty to a wife.

“A provocative new love story.” —The Seattle Times

“Refreshingly ambitious in its intellectual scope.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Right from the start of this haunting novel, Nunez adopts the mesmerizing myth-spinning voice of an oral storyteller . . . Nunez explores self-deception, envy, Christian monogamy vs. African polygamy, and the very real dilemma of loving two people at once.” —Publishers Weekly

“A complex portrait of a love triangle by a gifted writer.” —Booklist

A main selection of the Black Expressions Book Club