Overview

A romance and a tale of friendship and identity, set in the harsh yet mystic landscape of Algeria. 'Darling, this is Younes. Yesterday he was my nephew, today he is our son'. Younes' life is changed forever when his poverty-stricken parents surrender him to the care of his more affluent uncle. Re-named Jonas, he grows up in a colourful colonial Algerian town, and forges a unique friendship with a group of boys, an enduring bond that nothing - not even the Algerian Revolt - will shake. He meets Emilie - a beautiful, beguiling girl who captures the hearts of all who see her - and an epic love story is set in motion. Time and again Jonas is forced to to choose between two worlds- Algerian or European; past or present; love or loyalty, and finally decide if he will surrender to fate or take control of his own destiny at last. AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER.

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9780099540458

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Reviews

A book in which you may lose yourself in reading and find yourself when you put it aside; an enriching work... a love story and a war story... It is very well done indeed, sympathetic and humane. The narrative is compelling and there is a rich cast of well observed, or remembered, characters, all of who are treated fairly and generously...explores difficult moral questions with sensibility and intelligence. He presents life as it is, and hints at what it might be Scotsman This tale of family, love and war unfolds in Algeria before and during the armed revolt that led to independence. Caught between two worlds, its hero, Younes, is a sympathetic witness to the doctrines that divide people, and to the passions that may reunite them. Independent Includes brilliant descriptions of the city's slums and the beauties of the countryside Times Literary Supplement Moving... This story is about the power of the individual to stand up to history Daily Telegraph Khadra's novel, set almost entirely in Algeria, has wonderful lyrical passages and is distinguished by its sympathetic intelligence...Khadra writes with a beautiful lucidity Scotsman

"""A book in which you may lose yourself in reading and find yourself when you put it aside; an enriching work... sympathetic and humane. The narrative is compelling and there is a rich cast of well observed, or remembered, characters... He presents life as it is, and hints at what it might be"" Scotsman ""This tale of family, love and war unfolds in Algeria before and during the armed revolt that led to independence. Caught between two worlds, its hero, Younes, is a sympathetic witness to the doctrines that divide people, and to the passions that may reunite them"" Independent ""Includes brilliant descriptions of the city's slums and the beauties of the countryside"" Times Literary Supplement ""Moving... This story is about the power of the individual to stand up to history"" Daily Telegraph ""Khadra's novel, set almost entirely in Algeria, has wonderful lyrical passages and is distinguished by its sympathetic intelligence...Khadra writes with a beautiful lucidity"" Scotsman"

A book in which you may lose yourself in reading and find yourself when you put it aside; an enriching work... sympathetic and humane. The narrative is compelling and there is a rich cast of well observed, or remembered, characters... He presents life as it is, and hints at what it might be Scotsman This tale of family, love and war unfolds in Algeria before and during the armed revolt that led to independence. Caught between two worlds, its hero, Younes, is a sympathetic witness to the doctrines that divide people, and to the passions that may reunite them Independent Includes brilliant descriptions of the city's slums and the beauties of the countryside Times Literary Supplement Moving... This story is about the power of the individual to stand up to history Daily Telegraph Khadra's novel, set almost entirely in Algeria, has wonderful lyrical passages and is distinguished by its sympathetic intelligence...Khadra writes with a beautiful lucidity Scotsman

Author Information

Yasmina Khadra is the nom de plume of the Algerian army officer, Mohammed Moulessehoul, who took a female pseudonym to avoid submitting his manuscripts for approval by the army. He is the author of four other books published in English, including the acclaimed bestseller Swallows of Kabul. He lives in France.

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