"Ousmane's satirical fable tells of the downfall of El Hadji, a member of the African elite who have taken the place of white businessmen in Francophone Africa. The protagonist is stricken with xala--impotence--in a racous bedrroom scene with his new young wife. The novel subtly traces the interplay among his three wives as El Hadji desperately tries to over come the affliction. In his obsession he resorts to primitive incantation, and his unscrupulous business associates cynically reject their former friend."--Cover.