Tahar Djaout was an Algerian writer whose work championed secularism and opposed fanaticism, using a 'fearsome pen' that deeply affected society. He tackled complex themes of his homeland, offering a critical perspective that ultimately led to his assassination. Djaout's literary legacy lies in his courage and intellectual integrity, his writing serving as a powerful tool for understanding and critiquing societal dynamics. His commitment to free expression and opposition to extremism continue to resonate.
Boualem Yekker, a bookstore owner lives in a country being overtaken by the Vigilant Brothers, a radically conservative party that seeks to control every element of life according to the laws of their stringent moral theology: no work of beauty created by human hands should rival the wonders of their god.
Der jugendliche Protagonist wird von seiner Familie geschickt, die sterblichen Überreste seines im Algerienkrieg gefallenen Bruders heimzuholen. Erstmalig entkommt er der Enge des Bergdorfes und fragt sich, ob es überhaupt im Sinne seines Bruders ist, hierher zurückgebracht zu werden, nachdem er doch einmal den Ausbruch geschafft hatte.