Read Around Africa Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Africa.
Best books from Africa (894)
461.
The Happy Marriage by Tahar Ben Jelloun EN
MoroccoDescription:
The story of one couple - first from the husband's point of view, then from the wife's. The husband, a painter in Casablanca, has been paralyzed by a stroke at the very height of his career and becomes convinced that his marriage is the reason for his decline. Walled up within his illness and desperate to break free of a deeply destructive relationship, he finds escape in writing a secret book about his hellish marriage. When his wife finds it, she responds point by point with her own version of the facts, offering her own striking and incisive reinterpretation of their story.
462.
This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun EN
Description:
Ben Jelloun crafts a horrific real-life narrative into fiction to tell the appalling story of the desert concentration camps in which King Hassan II of Morocco held his political enemies under the most harrowing conditions.
463.
Leaving Tangier by Jelloun, Tahar Ben EN
Description:
In his new novel, author Tahar Ben Jelloun tells the story of a Moroccan brother and sister making new lives for themselves in Spain. Azel is a young man in Tangier who dreams of crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. When he meets Miguel, a wealthy Spaniard, he leaves behind his girlfriend, his sister, Kenza, and his mother, and moves with him to Barcelona, where Kenza eventually joins them. What they find there forms the heart of this novel of seduction and betrayal, deception and disillusionment, in which Azel and Kenza are reminded powerfully not only of where they've come from, but also of who... continue
464.
The Country of Others by Leila Slimani EN
Description:
'A panoramic, ambitious tale.' The Times'Exceptional.' Salman Rushdie'Powerful.' Christine Mangan'Captivating.' Elle1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco.But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman. Her life is now that of a farmer's wife - with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless.As Morocco's struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themselves ca... continue
465.
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami EN
Description:
***2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST*** Winner of the Arab American Book Award in Fiction Finalist for the Kirkus Prize in Fiction Finalist for the California Book Award Longlisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize A Los Angeles Times bestseller Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Time, NPR, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dallas Morning News, The Guardian, Variety, and Kirkus Reviews Late one spring night in California, Driss Guerraoui—father, husband, business owner, Moroccan immigrant—is hit and killed by a speeding car. The aftermath of his death brings together a diverse cast... continue
466.
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami EN
Description:
Set in modern-day Morocco, the story of four vastly different Moroccans who illegally cross the Strait of Gibraltar in an inflatable boat headed for Spain chronicles the circumstances that drive them to risk their lives and the rewards that may or may not prove to be worth the danger.
467.
Infidels : A Novel by Abdellah Taïa EN
Description:
Set in Salé, Morocco—the hometown Abdellah Taïa fled but to which he returns again and again in his acclaimed fiction and films—Infidels follows the life of Jallal, the son of a prostitute witch doctor—"a woman who knew men, humanity, better than anyone. In sex. Beyond sex." As a ten-year-old sidekick to his mother, Jallal spits in the face of her enemies both real and imagined. The cast of characters that rush into their lives are unforgettable for their dreams of love and belonging that unravel in turn. Built as a series of monologues that are emotionally relentless—a mix of confession, hear... continue
468.
For Bread Alone by Mohamed Choukri, Paul Bowles EN
Description:
Choukri's book has become a classic of world literature.
469.
Les jardins du roi : Oufkir, Hassan II et nous by Fatéma Oufkir FR
Description:
En 1991, Fatéma Oufkir et ses enfants recouvrent la liberté, après dix-neuf ans d'une détention inique. Leur crime ? Avoir eu pour mari et pour père le général Oufkir, ministre de l'Intérieur marocain, " suicidé " en 1972 à l'issue d'un putsch manqué contre le roi Hassan Il. Un destin qu'était loin d'imaginer l'adolescente Fatéma, lorsque, dans les années 50, ce jeune Officier, farouche partisan de l'indépendance, la demanda en mariage. Après l'accession au trône de Mohammed V, Fatéma devient l'une des personnalités choyées de la cour, en tant qu'épouse d'un des plus grands serviteurs de l'Eta... continue
470.
In the Country of Others : A Novel by Leila Slimani EN
Description:
The award-winning, #1 internationally bestselling new novel by the author of The Perfect Nanny, about a woman in an interracial marriage whose fierce desire for autonomy parallels her adopted country's fight for independence The world of men is just like the world of botany. In the end, one species dominates another. One day, the orange will win out over the lemon, or vice versa, and the tree will once again produce fruit that people can eat. In her first new novel since The Perfect Nanny launched her onto the world stage and won her acclaim for her "devastatingly perceptive character studies"... continue