ARTS & CULTURE
Book Club FROM A CAMPSITE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, TO THE STARK DESERTS OF MOROCCO, THIS MONTH'S READS TAKE YOU AROUND THE WORLD CAMBRIDGE EDITION
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
The Country of Others BY LEÏLA SLIMANI The first in a planned trilogy of books exploring her heritage, Leïla Slimani’s newest novel takes us to post-war Morocco as the country fights for independence. Young Frenchwoman Mathilde has recently married Moroccan-born soldier Amine Belhaj, but her eyes are slowly opening to the reality of her new life overseas. The inequality and lack of women’s rights incense her, much to the horror of her new family – and the blasted, sweeping panoramas of desert and unflinching locals are a world away from the exotic adventures she’d dreamed of when the couple first met. After years spent sharing space with Amine’s extremely traditional mother, Mouilala, the couple move out of the Medina to work on a remote farm owned by the family. Amine spends every waking hour trying to domesticate the wild landscape, while Mathilde does her best to raise their two children in an uncertain world. Domestic culture clashes are played out on a national scale: soon, uprisings make it difficult for the brave young woman to move around outside her new home. Attacked by the French for her dark-haired husband and pelted with stones by the Moroccans for her otherness, every day sees Mathilde questioning her choices – and yet, she endures. Bewildering, compelling and expertly drawn, this sweeping epic will draw you in immediately and leave you impatient for the next instalment in the series. BEWILDERING,
COMPELLING AND EXPERTLY DRAWN
24 AUGUST 2021 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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