The Sand Child
About the book
A Moroccan family raises a daughter as a son.
Original title: L’Enfant de sable
Africa · A READING GUIDE
Morocco
Tahar Ben Jelloun connects stories of gender and family with the memory of political imprisonment. Mohamed Choukri’s and Abdellah Taïa’s autobiographical writing follows poverty, growing up and the search for identity. Laila Lalami brings a Moroccan traveller’s voice into the history of America’s conquest, while Leila Slimani explores private life in France. The Sand Child and The Sacred Night form a connected pair of readings.
WHERE TO START
- The Sand ChildTahar Ben Jelloun
- The Moor’s AccountLaila Lalami
- The Perfect NannyLeila Slimani
Books to begin with
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This Blinding Absence of Light
About the book
Prisoners in a secret Moroccan jail struggle for survival and inner freedom.
Original title: Cette aveuglante absence de lumière
Święta noc
About the book
Zahra continues her story after leaving an imposed male identity.
Original title: La Nuit sacrée
The Moor’s Account
About the book
Imagined memoirs give voice to Estebanico, an enslaved participant in a Spanish expedition to America.
The Perfect Nanny
About the book
A Parisian family tragedy exposes dependence on a nanny and a class divide.
Original title: Chanson douce
Adèle
About the book
A journalist leads a double life while hiding sexual compulsion from her family.
Original title: Dans le jardin de l’ogre
For Bread Alone
About the book
An autobiographical account of poverty, violence and discovering literacy in northern Morocco.
Original title: Al-Khubz al-Hafi
Salvation Army
About the book
Growing up between Salé, Tangier and Geneva intertwines desire, family and migration.
Original title: L’Armée du salut
The Dream Hotel
About the book
A dystopia about monitored dreams and the loss of privacy.
The Other Americans
About the book
A Moroccan immigrant’s death exposes divisions and secrets in a California town.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
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