The Country of Others
As seen:
By Leïla Slimani, and and, Sam Taylor
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1 review
‘A panoramic, ambitious tale.’ The Times
‘Exceptional.’ Salman Rushdie
‘Powerful.’ Christine Mangan
‘Captivating.’ Elle
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.
From the internationally bestselling author, The Country of Others is perfect for fans of Elena Ferrante, Tracy Chevalier, and Maggie O’Farrell.
TweetReviews
Very readable and really interesting this novel apparently draws heavily on the author's own family history. The nice easy writing style, flawlessly translated from French, builds characters with depth and uses them to look at situations from different points of view. Beautifully done. It's set in Morocco in the 1940's and 50's when Morocco was still a French colony. Matilde is a French woman married to a Moroccan man and through their lives we learn about Moroccan culture, class differences, religious differences attitudes to women's and to the French. Really enjoyed it.
