For the novel The Roots of Heaven, Gary received the Prix Goncourt for fiction. Translated and republished in many countries around the world, the novel was finally published in Bulgarian. A film version by John Huston starring Juliette Gréco, Errol Flynn, and Howard Trevard was released in 1958.

African Rice Heart is an earthy, candid, and poetic narrative that traces Emilys journey of growth, challenge, and discovery. Read it and you, too will feel the heartbeat sometimes strong, sometimes irregular, but always present as Emily weaves her stories of wonder and longing, tragedy and tears, and ultimately, the sense of belonging she found during her year of service in Bere, Chad