Ce pays dont je meurs

More about the book

The first novel available to English readers by Fawzia Zouari, a prominent North African author, opens with an emergency crew responding to a Parisian apartment where two emaciated sisters are found. Their dire condition puzzles onlookers, but for Nacera and Amira, it marks the tragic culmination of their experiences. Inspired by a real news story, the narrative unfolds as Nacera reflects on her parents' lives in rural French Algeria and their immigration to Paris after Algeria's war for independence. Through her memories, the sisters' struggles as children of immigrants highlight the intense pressures of social exclusion and identity conflicts faced by immigrant youth. Their family's yearning for acceptance becomes increasingly elusive. Zouari's candid prose and powerful storytelling capture the multigenerational experience of Franco-Algerian immigration in the late twentieth century. As France grapples with issues of national identity, immigration, and its colonial history, the themes explored in this novel resonate profoundly in today's context.