The Country of Others - Leïla Slimani

In 'The Country of Others', Leïla Slimani tells a story of a young French woman who falls in love with a Moroccan soldier and follows him from Alsace to his home town. By telling this family saga - loosely based on her own family's history - Leïla Slimani also offers an account of the rapid evolution of Morocco from 1946 to the present day. An evolution that started from the country's fight for independence and entailed many other fights and clashes over colonial racism, classism and sexism. Slimani tells this story through evocative and sensual descriptions of Morocco's luxuriant vegetation, its sounds and smells, and paints psychologically nuanced portraits of her characters.

1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco. But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman.

Her life is now that of a farmer's wife - with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless.

As Morocco's struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themselves caught in the crossfire.

This is the first volume of a new trilogy telling the saga of one French family between 1946 and 2016.

"The world of this novel - Morocco after World War II, leading up to the revolt against French colonialism - is beautifully created. Personal life, social life, everyday life spring vividly from the page, and we feel deeply for the family caught in the middle of the conflict of history. An exceptional, powerful novel from this justly celebrated writer." Salman Rushdie

This book will be shipped within 3-5 working days

You can return any book within 14 days of delivery. Unfortunately, as a small business we cannot cover any shipping costs associated with returning an item nor do we refund the delivery costs you paid when ordering the book.