Michel is a surprise two-day-late triplet whose inauspicious birth follows him as he grows up in Africa. I believe the specific country he lives in is unspecified and made up, but the cultural and historical context of the story is very real. Michel provides an intelligent if naive view through which we learn about the political climate leading up to and throughout his childhood. We see communism versus democracy and science versus religion through his eyes. There are funny moments, but he and his family also experience violence. Notes on content warnings to follow in the spoilered section.