The most widely read and studied of Sembène's novels, Les Bouts de bois de Dieu is a fictionalized reconstruction of the Dakar–Niger railway-workers' strike of 1947. Bouba Tabti-Mohammedi's critical guide presents a clear and concise analysis of this classic of francophone African literature. The Introduction gives an overview of the 1960s, a key period in the move towards independence of former colonies across Africa, acknowledging the internal and external factors that would shape the futures of these new nations.