Ny Rabe follows four generations of one family in Ambalavato, Antananarivo, from Tata Malala, the grandmother, to Lita, two and a half. Around them live an uncle, a cousin, a dog, a zebu and a few neighbours, and the stories grow out of the ties between them.
The family tree
- Tata Malala, 68, the grandmother
- Paoly, 43, Datoa's younger brother, uncle of the three children
- R-Biz (Rado), 27, cousin of the three children on Fara's side, and so part of Tata Malala's family
Who is who to whom
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who are Tsiky's parents? | Fara and Datoa |
| Who is Lita's mother? | Tsiky, who raises him on her own |
| Whose mother is Tata Malala? | Fara's |
| Who is Datoa's brother? | Paoly, his younger brother |
| How is R-Biz related to the Rabe? | He is the children's cousin, on their mother Fara's side |
| What are Miora and Njaka to Lita? | His aunt and his uncle |
The animals
- Maki, the family dog, about four, with three legs.
- Zézé, the zebu, who lives in the house like one of the family.
The neighbours and friends
- Bebe Dety, 72, the neighbour.
- Jean-Michel, 34, the French investor, Datoa's friend.
The ties that drive the stories
| Between | What goes on |
|---|---|
| Fara and Datoa | They argue, usually over his evening drinks, and share a deep complicity |
| Datoa and R-Biz | R-Biz gets on his nerves, and Datoa adores him |
| Tata Malala and Bebe Dety | An open rivalry going back to their youth, and to a man |
| Miora and Njaka | A gentle rivalry between sister and brother |
| Tsiky and Jean-Michel | He courts her, and she is not interested |
| Datoa and Paoly | Brotherly squabbles about tyres |
| Paoly and R-Biz | Paoly keeps a wary eye on him |
| Jean-Michel and R-Biz | Jean-Michel believes in him and follows him into ventures that flop |
| Miora and Tsiky | Miora looks up to her big sister |
| Njaka and Lita | Njaka plays with Lita, who sometimes ends up as the test subject of his experiments |
| Lita, Maki and Zézé | Lita adores both of them |
| Maki and Tata Malala | Maki keeps running off with her walking stick |
| Zézé and Fara | Zézé loves being by her side |
Each character is presented on Who are the characters of Ny Rabe?