David Wright Faladé's 'The New Internationals' explores race and identity

A narrative of cultural intersections, love, and activism in postwar Paris.

Illustration by Febrina Tiara

By Novanka Laras and Sarah Oktaviany

The New Internationals, David Wright Faladé

In 2022, David Wright Faladé captivated readers of The New Yorker with his essay The Truth About My Father, a deeply personal exploration of his parentage. Raised believing he was the son of Jack Wright, an African-American GI, Faladé later learned that his biological father was Max Faladé, a West African man from a royal lineage in present-day Benin. This revelation of his complex heritage inspired Faladé’s novel, The New Internationals, a richly layered story set in Paris in 1947.

The novel takes readers to a city grappling with the aftermath of World War II. Against a backdrop of economic hardship and civil unrest, Faladé paints a vivid picture of a Parisian society brimming with discontent. Protests, organized by disillusioned citizens, Communist Youth members, and anticolonial activists, often turn violent, reflecting the frustrations of a fractured nation. Meanwhile, American GIs and a diverse group of "internationals" — immigrants, students, and war refugees — fill the jazz clubs and cafés of the Latin Quarter.

Like Luis Alberto Urrea’s Good Night, Irene, which explores a son’s curiosity about his mother’s wartime past, The New Internationals is shaped by Faladé’s exploration of his mother’s experiences and their profound impact on her life. The story centers on Cecile Rosenbaum, a young French-Jewish woman whose wartime survival and postwar struggles echo the author’s real-life maternal history.

Cecile’s character is rooted in resilience. Born in 1931 to an affluent Jewish family, she survived the Holocaust thanks to her father’s resourcefulness in securing falsified documents. However, the war claimed the life of her great-aunt, who perished in the Drancy transit camp after being arrested by French police. These experiences leave Cecile both outraged and deeply disillusioned with her countrymen.

Cecile’s anger fuels her drive to connect with other marginalized groups, including Black communities and anticolonial activists. Her defiance is evident when she dons a Star of David pendant in postwar Paris, a symbol of both pride and resistance. Uncertain about her future, Cecile attends a Communist Youth conference, where her disillusionment with political rhetoric is replaced by intrigue upon meeting Sebastien, a West African student.

Sebastien, or Seb, represents the complexity of identity in a colonized world. Having arrived in France as a child with his sister, Seb navigates life as both an outsider and a survivor. During the German occupation, he lived in Burgundy, working as an apprentice carpenter. Though content with his life there, Seb’s sister pushes him to pursue higher education in Paris, where he meets Cecile.

The bond between Cecile and Seb deepens as she tutors him for the competitive entrance exams to the École des Beaux-Arts. However, their clandestine affair is shadowed by the weight of their individual traumas. Cecile shares stories of the Nazi theft of her grandmother’s art collection, while Seb wrestles with the painful legacy of his ancestors’ involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. These shared burdens highlight the intersection of historical injustices and personal struggles, creating a poignant exploration of identity and belonging.

The novel’s emotional tension intensifies with the introduction of Mack Gray, an African-American GI. Charismatic and carefree, Mack introduces Cecile to the vibrant world of jazz, Southern cuisine, and Black vernacular. His easygoing nature contrasts sharply with Seb’s introspective and burdened demeanor.

Caught between these two men, Cecile finds herself at a crossroads. Seb embodies the seriousness of shared activism and responsibility, while Mack offers a sense of joy and escape. The love triangle serves as a metaphor for Cecile’s own search for purpose in a fractured world. Faladé captures the complexity of her dilemma, describing the men as “one American, the other African; one the descendant of slaves, the other of slavers.”

Faladé’s narrative delves into themes of racial hybridity and cultural intersections, reflecting both his personal history and broader societal dynamics. This exploration of crossing boundaries and challenging norms is a recurring theme in his work, including his acclaimed 2022 novel Black Cloud Rising. That novel, centered on a real-life African Brigade during the Civil War, highlighted the complexities of race and identity in historical contexts.

In The New Internationals, Faladé turns his focus to a postwar Paris where victims of antisemitism, racism, and colonial oppression begin to unite in their pursuit of justice and equality. The novel captures a pivotal moment in history, when marginalized groups began to see their struggles as interconnected, paving the way for collective activism.

While The New Internationals excels in its vivid portrayal of postwar Paris and its exploration of complex themes, the narrative occasionally falters. The love triangle, though emotionally charged, leans into melodrama, detracting from the novel’s broader social commentary. However, this personal dimension also adds depth to Cecile’s character, illustrating her internal conflict and quest for belonging.

Ultimately, The New Internationals is a powerful exploration of resilience and connection in a time of upheaval. Through Cecile’s journey, Faladé illuminates the ways in which personal and historical narratives intersect, shaping individual identities and collective movements.

As a deeply personal work rooted in Faladé’s own story, the novel invites readers to reflect on the complexities of heritage, the weight of historical injustices, and the enduring search for meaning in a fractured world. With its richly drawn characters and evocative setting, The New Internationals stands as a testament to the power of storytelling to bridge divides and foster understanding.

By weaving his own family history into a broader narrative of postwar activism and cultural intersections, David Wright Faladé offers readers a compelling and thought-provoking journey through The New Internationals. This novel not only examines the past but also resonates with contemporary struggles for identity and justice, making it a poignant and relevant addition to modern literature.