Issa Boureima is a young, hip African street vendor who sells knock-off
designer bags and hats in an open-air market on 125th street in Harlem.
His goal is to become a "Jaguar"--a West African term for a keen
entrepreneur able to spot trends and turn a profit in any marketplace.
This dynamic world, largely invisible to mainstream culture, is the
backdrop of this timely novel.
Faced with economic hardship in Africa, Issa has left his home in Niger
and his new wife, Khadija, to seek his fortune in America. Devout
Muslims, the couple has entered into a "modern" marriage: Khadija is
permitted to run her own business, and Issa has agreed not to take
additional wives. Issa quickly adapts to his new surroundings, however,
and soon attracts several girlfriends. Aided by a network of immigrants,
he easily slips through gaps in the "system" and extends his stay in
America indefinitely. Following a circuit of African-American cultural
festivals across America, he marvels at African-Americans' attitudes
toward Africa, and wonders if he'll ever return to Niger. Meanwhile,
Khadija also struggles to make it--to become a "Jaguar"--as she combats
loneliness, hostile in-laws, and a traditional, male-dominated society.
The eventual success of her dry goods shop and her growing affection for
a helpful Arab merchant make her wonder if she'll ever join Issa in
America.
Drawing on his own decades of experience among Africans both in Niger
and in New York, Paul Stoller offers enormous insight into the
complexities of contemporary Africa. Alive with detail, Jaguar is a
story of triumph and disappointment, of dislocation and longing, and of
life lived in a world that no longer recognizes boundaries.
