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In the Country of Others

In the Country of Others

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  • Create Date：2021-08-09 06:51:49
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Leïla Slimani
  • ISBN：014313597X
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Summary

The award-winning， #1 internationally bestselling new novel by the author of The Perfect Nanny--a passionate interracial love story between a Moroccan soldier who fought for France in World War II and a French woman whose fierce desire for autonomy parallels colonial Morocco's fight for independence

Mathilde， a spirited young Frenchwoman， falls in love with Amine， a handsome Moroccan soldier in the French army during World War II。 After the war， the couple settles in Morocco to start a farm。 While Amine tries to cultivate the rocky and unforgiving terrain， Mathilde feels suffocated by the harsh climate。 Alone and isolated with her two children， she struggles with assimilation and classism。 The ten years of the novel are also those of a rise in tensions and violence that will lead in 1956 to Morocco's independence。 All the characters in this novel live "in the country of others": settlers vs。 natives， soldiers vs。 peasants， and exiles。 Women， especially， live in the country of men， and must constantly fight for their emancipation。

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Reviews

Cecile Hascoet ，

The Country of Others， war， war， war by Leila SlimaniSynopsis:Mathilde and Amine， she Alsatian， him， Moroccan who fought in the French army， fell in love after the second world war。 The mixt couple ， freshly married， leave for Morocco， to settle on a rocky land that he dreams of cultivating 。 Mathilde， young and impulsive， struggles with isolation but also to set in a colony where she is seen as a French invader and seen as the woman who married an Arab by the european。 This book is beautiful。 F The Country of Others， war， war， war by Leila SlimaniSynopsis:Mathilde and Amine， she Alsatian， him， Moroccan who fought in the French army， fell in love after the second world war。 The mixt couple ， freshly married， leave for Morocco， to settle on a rocky land that he dreams of cultivating 。 Mathilde， young and impulsive， struggles with isolation but also to set in a colony where she is seen as a French invader and seen as the woman who married an Arab by the european。 This book is beautiful。 From the first pages， I am in Morocco， I can see Mathilde， Amine， the harsh live， feel their struggles， Mathilde's solitude， Amine's struggles with his own culture。The writing is fluid and makes the reading a delight。 There are some wonderful scenes in this first saga。 The most beautiful and metaphorical one is the 'Lemange' tree。 At the birth of their first daughter， Amine plants a lemon tree on top of an orange tree， renamed the Lemange tree。 The tree grows to a beautiful tree but the fruits are inedible。 This is by far the most poetic image in the book。 A metaphor for their own family but also the country itself。 The book questions colonisation （ the book ends in 1956 at the dawn of the country independence）， wars， mixt culture。， but also women place in a Muslim country ，in 1950's （ in France also） The Country of Others can also be thought as the country of Men。The book generates a sensuality as hot as the Moroccan sun。 So， yes， I loved every pages of the Country of Others。Leila Slimani is a well-known writer for mostly having won the Goncourt for 'Chanson douce。 This time， Leila Slimali embarks on her own family history。 It is the first of a trilogy and I am looking forward to know more about the Aisha， the small child with unruly hair who excelled in Latin and Maths。I was not a big fan f Ferrante because of the writing style， but there is a new genre emerging these days， the re birth of family saga。 。。。more

Louise ，

Raw， brutal， and unsettling， this book is a window on life as a French woman in post-war Morocco。 When Mathilde marries Amine and leaves her native Alsace to make a new life with him in his homeland， she expects an exotic， interesting life， something that she craves after her wartime experience。 The reality is quite different。 Life is brutal and harsh but Mathilde adapts through hard work and determination。 As Morocco struggles for independence， life becomes even more challenging for Mathilde an Raw， brutal， and unsettling， this book is a window on life as a French woman in post-war Morocco。 When Mathilde marries Amine and leaves her native Alsace to make a new life with him in his homeland， she expects an exotic， interesting life， something that she craves after her wartime experience。 The reality is quite different。 Life is brutal and harsh but Mathilde adapts through hard work and determination。 As Morocco struggles for independence， life becomes even more challenging for Mathilde and her family。 。。。more

Rachel Matthews ，

Before going into The Country of Others， I think it's important to understand that it is the first in a family saga trilogy。 As is typical for the first book in a series this novel is all about setting the scene。 It spans a period of about 11 years from 1944 to 1955。 During this time， French colonisation of Morocco leads to tensions that eventually escalate into death and violence。 We see events from a few different points of view but our main character is Mathilde， a white French woman， who mar Before going into The Country of Others， I think it's important to understand that it is the first in a family saga trilogy。 As is typical for the first book in a series this novel is all about setting the scene。 It spans a period of about 11 years from 1944 to 1955。 During this time， French colonisation of Morocco leads to tensions that eventually escalate into death and violence。 We see events from a few different points of view but our main character is Mathilde， a white French woman， who marries a dark-skinned Moroccan man。 She moves from France to Morocco to be with her husband and， there， they start a family。 The life Mathilde ends up living is nothing like the romanticised version of African life she was expecting。 She is ashamed of the poverty and drudgery she endures and hides this from her family and friends。 Their daughter Aicha is acutely aware of the fact that she's different - her mixed race means she doesn't fit in with the white children or the dark-skinned children at her school and she withdraws into herself choosing to find refuge in religion and in her studies。 By the end of the book， I sensed that Aicha will have an important role in the next book and think she will make for a fascinating character to follow as she gets older。 The two previous books I have read by Slimani - Adele and Lullaby - had political undertones。 In those books， there was some commentary on race， immigration and the role of women in society but The Country of Others tackles these political elements much more overtly。 Slimani explores how narratives about race and class can permeate all parts of society and be internalised by the people living within that society。 At one point in the book， little Aicha asks her father "are we the goodies or the baddies？" and it's a question I think is central to any political conflict， the answer to which will differ depending on the individual's perspective。 This book is a bit of a slow burn， no doubt in part because Slimani has another two books to further develop the story， but there is a lot running under the surface。 Topics including inter-racial relationships， female sexuality， religion and violence are all addressed and I am intrigued to see how the story progresses over the series。 。。。more

Ellena Downes ，

This is a beautifully written novel about the end of the French occupation of Morocco。 Harrowing in places with the tension of up rising bubbling in the background throughout the story of Amine and Mathilde grips you from the start。

Trish ，

Thank you NetGalley and Faber for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 The Country of Others is a historical family saga set in Morocco across the 1940s-1950s。 It starts with a young French woman， Mathilde marrying a Moroccan soldier， Amine。 They meet in her village whilst he is fighting for the French during WW2。 She moves to his family home in Meknes filled with excitement and wonder at her new surroundings。 Amine relocates them to an isolated farm and she quickly realis Thank you NetGalley and Faber for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 The Country of Others is a historical family saga set in Morocco across the 1940s-1950s。 It starts with a young French woman， Mathilde marrying a Moroccan soldier， Amine。 They meet in her village whilst he is fighting for the French during WW2。 She moves to his family home in Meknes filled with excitement and wonder at her new surroundings。 Amine relocates them to an isolated farm and she quickly realises this is not a romantic adventure。 She must adjust to this lifestyle she is unaccustomed to。 They have 2 children and the novel moves between their perspectives， along with their eldest daughter， family members and friends。 All of this takes place against a tense political backdrop with the nationalists fighting for independence。This is a shift from Slimani's first two novels that were translated into English by Sam Taylor。 Lullaby and Adele were short and sharp。 Apart from the obvious distinction with it being historical fiction， there is a very different feel to the prose。 It is still very abrupt and in your face in parts as you would expect from Slimani but there is a lot more depth and beauty to it。 The descriptions of the Moroccan villages， their farmland， the surrounding landscapes are vivid and really paint a picture for you to envision。 I really enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters and how they each dealt with their circumstances。 The novel isn't long but with the different perspectives you really get a feel for the tension in this family， in this country。 Upon requesting a copy I did not realise this was the first in a planned trilogy。 I am excited to see how this family saga develops。 Definitely recommend！ 。。。more

Christine ，

So good， I bought her previous novel which won the Prix Goncourt in France！ In The Country of Others， by Leïla Slimani。For me an exceptionally excellent novel！ Based on the life of the author's family history， this novel tells of Mathilde's marriage to Amine and her move to Morocco in 1947。 The love that binds them together will experience lots of upheavals due to political， social and religious conditions。 This novel is a fight for personal identity， and I really mean a fight。 An identity which So good， I bought her previous novel which won the Prix Goncourt in France！ In The Country of Others， by Leïla Slimani。For me an exceptionally excellent novel！ Based on the life of the author's family history， this novel tells of Mathilde's marriage to Amine and her move to Morocco in 1947。 The love that binds them together will experience lots of upheavals due to political， social and religious conditions。 This novel is a fight for personal identity， and I really mean a fight。 An identity which will prove difficult to acquire: whether for Mathilde who is a foreigner among a completely different culture （can/should she give up her own traditions and fully embrace her new community？）; or for Amine who fought alongside the French in WWII， but who is also （first？） Moroccan impregnated， attracted and disturbed by his wife's foreignness and her influence on their children。 Not easy to handle all those emotions！ Violence is part of their life， domestic and political。 Their story raised in me anger， incomprehension， but also understanding （though not condoning the violence） for all characters living in a country on the verge of getting independence。 A brilliant history lesson with complex and compelling characters！ The writing is powerful and has deeply anchored the story in me。 Can't wait for the sequel。Thank you so much Leïla， for letting me read your novel for free on Pigeonhole。 。。。more

Ryo ，

I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway。The story follows Mathilde， a French woman who marries a Moroccan man named Amine。 In the 1940s and 1950s， they move to Morocco， where they struggle to run a farm， raise two children， and experience the revolution going on around them as Morocco struggles to gain independence。 The setting and characters are well-developed; even though it's not a part of the world I'm particularly familiar with， the area that Mathilde and Amine live I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway。The story follows Mathilde， a French woman who marries a Moroccan man named Amine。 In the 1940s and 1950s， they move to Morocco， where they struggle to run a farm， raise two children， and experience the revolution going on around them as Morocco struggles to gain independence。 The setting and characters are well-developed; even though it's not a part of the world I'm particularly familiar with， the area that Mathilde and Amine live their lives seemed very real from the descriptive prose。 Plot-wise， though， there's not much of an overarching plot， and with the perspective shifting between characters frequently， I was sometimes not very motivated to keep going。 The novel ends just as more fighting breaks out， and though I realize this is the first novel in a planned trilogy， it still felt unresolved at the end。 。。。more

Lese lust ，

Eine junge， schöne Elsässerin heiratet am Ende des 2。 WK einen attraktiven Soldaten aus Marokko und geht mit ihm in seine Heimat， um dort eine Farm zu bewirtschaften - mitten hinein in die marokkanischen Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen。 Neben den persönlichen Herausforderungen sind es auch die gesellschaftlichen Umbrüche， die dieses Buch so lesenswert und interessant machen。 Die Autorin greift hier auf die Geschichte ihrer Großmutter zurück und ich bin gespannt auf die zwei Bände， die noch folgen so Eine junge， schöne Elsässerin heiratet am Ende des 2。 WK einen attraktiven Soldaten aus Marokko und geht mit ihm in seine Heimat， um dort eine Farm zu bewirtschaften - mitten hinein in die marokkanischen Unabhängigkeitsbestrebungen。 Neben den persönlichen Herausforderungen sind es auch die gesellschaftlichen Umbrüche， die dieses Buch so lesenswert und interessant machen。 Die Autorin greift hier auf die Geschichte ihrer Großmutter zurück und ich bin gespannt auf die zwei Bände， die noch folgen sollen。 。。。more

Karen ，

Dieses Buch gefiel mir wesentlich besser als Dann schlaf auch Du。 Eine Französin heiratet in der Nachkriegszeit nach Marokka。 Eine tumulte Ehe wird geschildert vor dem Hintergrund einer gespaltenen Marokko。 Animositäten zwischen den Einhemischen und den französischen Kolonisten nehmen zu。 Mathilde und Armin lieben sich， auch wenn die kulturellen Unterschiede groß sind。 Obwohl sie ein Kopf größer ist als er， hindert es ihn nicht， sie zu ohrfeigen。 Sogar ihre Nase wird gebrochen， was ihr Libido ke Dieses Buch gefiel mir wesentlich besser als Dann schlaf auch Du。 Eine Französin heiratet in der Nachkriegszeit nach Marokka。 Eine tumulte Ehe wird geschildert vor dem Hintergrund einer gespaltenen Marokko。 Animositäten zwischen den Einhemischen und den französischen Kolonisten nehmen zu。 Mathilde und Armin lieben sich， auch wenn die kulturellen Unterschiede groß sind。 Obwohl sie ein Kopf größer ist als er， hindert es ihn nicht， sie zu ohrfeigen。 Sogar ihre Nase wird gebrochen， was ihr Libido kein Abbruch tut。 Sie steckt einiges ein。Das Buch handelt von Freiheit für den Unterdrückten - die Frauen， die Marokkaner。 Am Ende brennt es。。。。 。。。more

Lou ，

The Country of Others is an atmospheric and compelling family saga from the acclaimed Franco-Moroccan author， Leila Slimani。 It highlights a woman entangled between two cultures， divided between her dedication to her family and the love of freedom with which she grew up。 In 1944， Catholic Mathilde， a young Alsatian， fell in love with Muslim soldier Amine Belhaj， a Moroccan fighting in the French army against the Nazi occupation。 After the Liberation， she leaves her country to follow to Morocco t The Country of Others is an atmospheric and compelling family saga from the acclaimed Franco-Moroccan author， Leila Slimani。 It highlights a woman entangled between two cultures， divided between her dedication to her family and the love of freedom with which she grew up。 In 1944， Catholic Mathilde， a young Alsatian， fell in love with Muslim soldier Amine Belhaj， a Moroccan fighting in the French army against the Nazi occupation。 After the Liberation， she leaves her country to follow to Morocco the one who will become her husband。 The couple moved to Meknes， a garrison and colonist city in Morocco and near Rabat， where the colonial segregation system applied rigorously。 Marriage， relocation， first child， second child - Aïcha and Sélim。 Illusions soon collide with reality。 While Amine cultivates rocky soil， Mathilde suffocates from the harsh climate - hated by French settlers because she married a Moroccan and rejected by Moroccans because she is not one of their own。 Mathilde works hard to cultivate the family farm but the rocky land makes it far from easy。 At the cost of many sacrifices and vexations， Amine manages to organize his domain， by allying with a Hungarian doctor， Dragan Palosi， who will become a very close friend。 Mathilde feels suffocated by the harsh climate of Morocco， by her loneliness on the farm， by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner and by the lack of money。 Relations between the settlers and the natives were very tense， and Amine found himself caught in the crossfire: married to a French woman， landowner employing Moroccan workers， he was assimilated to the settlers by the natives， and despised and humiliated by the French because he is Moroccan。 He is proud of his wife， of her courage， of her particular beauty， of her strong temperament， but he is also ashamed of it because she does not show proper modesty or submission; certainly not as much as he would like her to。 Aïcha grew up in this climate of violence， following the education given to her by the Sisters in Meknes， where she saw French girls from rich families who found enjoyment when they humiliated her。 Selma， Amine's sister， nourishes dreams of freedom that are constantly bullied by the men around her。 While Amine begins to reap the fruits of her exhausting labour， riots break out， the plantations are set on fire: the novel ends with scenes of violence inaugurating the country's access to independence in 1956。 This is a captivating， richly atmospheric and intricately detailed portrayal of Morocco in the mid-twentieth century and Slimani evokes this convoluted and complex geopolitical period with ease and vigour。 Mathilde fights against poverty and the ruling patriarchy with the tale also exploring identity， womanhood， belonging， freedom， heritage， discrimination， religion， culture， family， race and tradition。 This colourful， thought-provoking family saga is set against the backdrop of the independence struggle of the Protectorate of Morocco against France， in which Mathilde and Amine do not want to take sides。 But then comes the day when the battle reaches their region as well。 It's a beautifully written and extensively researched piece of character-driven writing on hybridity， foreignness， indigenousness and touching on France's colonial past， inspired by the author’s own family origins。 In this great fresco， the memorable first part of a trilogy in which each volume covers a period of 10 years， Slimani revives a not so distant epoch and its actors， with a pronounced humanity， accuracy and refined sense of narration。 It is a powerful， immersive and engaging novel about a family's struggle against hostile surroundings。 But it is also a story that in an original way sheds light on the origins of many of the most acute conflicts of our time。 All the characters in the novel live in the land of others - settlers， natives， peasants and refugees。 Women， above all， live in the country of men and must constantly fight for their emancipation。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Pheadra ，

This is a well written chronicle set in the 1950s about Mathilde， a woman from Alsace， France， who marries Amine a Moroccan soldier。 She moves to his country with idolized visions of what her life will be like but all too soon discovers just how far removed reality actually is。 The dusty hot weather， scant existence， racism and cruelty she experiences at the hands of her husband， his family and others left me with a feeling of sadness and despondency。 The story was best summed up with this parag This is a well written chronicle set in the 1950s about Mathilde， a woman from Alsace， France， who marries Amine a Moroccan soldier。 She moves to his country with idolized visions of what her life will be like but all too soon discovers just how far removed reality actually is。 The dusty hot weather， scant existence， racism and cruelty she experiences at the hands of her husband， his family and others left me with a feeling of sadness and despondency。 The story was best summed up with this paragraph "After quietly closing the door and walking into the hallway， Amine thought about how the fruit of the lemange tree was inedible。 Its pulp was dry and its taste so bitter that it brought tears to his eyes。 And the world of men is just like the world of botany， he thought。 In the end one species dominates another。 One day the orange will win out over the lemon， or vice versa， or the tree will once again produce fruit that people can eat。 4 Stars。 。。。more

Christine Rennie ，

In the country of others by Leila Slimani is the story of an interracial passionate love of a Morracan soldier who served France in the Second World War and Mathilde his French wife who moved to Morocco to live and bring up her children。It is a story of a different time and a different culture brought vividly to live by the author。Highly recommended

Lynne Smith ，

Set in the 1950’s， Mathilde from Alsace falls in love with Amine a Moroccan soldier with the French army， she marries him and returns to Morocco with him， imagining it to be exotic and romantic; instead she finds herself on a remote， dusty， very basic farm where life is brutal and harsh。 I felt as if I were inside Mathilde’s life which was not as she expected but where she eventually found a kind of peace。 It was interesting to consider a life in the country of others that was so alien to a Euro Set in the 1950’s， Mathilde from Alsace falls in love with Amine a Moroccan soldier with the French army， she marries him and returns to Morocco with him， imagining it to be exotic and romantic; instead she finds herself on a remote， dusty， very basic farm where life is brutal and harsh。 I felt as if I were inside Mathilde’s life which was not as she expected but where she eventually found a kind of peace。 It was interesting to consider a life in the country of others that was so alien to a European reader rather than the experiences of a North African in France。 It is important to remember the period in which it is set where Muslim women were subjugated wholly to men and the country was rising up against the French colonists。 It has the stamp of authenticity but is also a savage and sometimes cruel life and as such is not an enjoyable or sometimes easy read， although undoubtedly well written。 。。。more

Aoife McMenamin ，

I’m a fan of Leïla Slimani。 I loved Lullaby and Adèle， and also her non-fiction Sex and Lies。 The Country of Others is her new book （published today） and it’s a marked departure from her earlier work。 It’s the first in a planned trilogy and in it Slimani draws on her own family history。 It’s historical fiction and opens in 1944 with Mathilde， a strong-willed French woman who meets and falls in love with Amine， a Moroccan man fighting for the French in WWII。 They marry and move to Morocco， where I’m a fan of Leïla Slimani。 I loved Lullaby and Adèle， and also her non-fiction Sex and Lies。 The Country of Others is her new book （published today） and it’s a marked departure from her earlier work。 It’s the first in a planned trilogy and in it Slimani draws on her own family history。 It’s historical fiction and opens in 1944 with Mathilde， a strong-willed French woman who meets and falls in love with Amine， a Moroccan man fighting for the French in WWII。 They marry and move to Morocco， where the grim reality of a hot， dusty climate， an isolated， decrepit home and a frosty reception both from the French colonialists and the natives greets her。The book is expansive in that we get to know a host of characters - Mathilde and Amine， their children， their friends and Amine’s family， all set against a backdrop of a politically unstable Morocco beginning to strike out for independence and shake off the shackles of French colonialism。 It can feel at times as though the author has overreached with too many characters - I’ve seen this criticism of the book。 My sense was that she is building a cast of characters for the trilogy， not unlike Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend。 The prose is much less spartan that what you’d expect from Slimani。 It’s more exploratory， it’s sensuous and brimming with feeling。 The sense of place is magnificent。 It is different from her previous work though so I’ll be really interested to hear what people think about it。 I really enjoyed it。 I found it thoroughly absorbing and I’m already looking forward to the next instalment。 4/5 ⭐️ **The Country of Others by Leïla Slimani is published today， 5 August 2021。 I was grateful to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book courtesy of the publisher @faberbooks via @netgalley。 As always， this is an honest review。** 。。。more

✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight ，

Another Economist review。https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 Leïla Slimani tells the story of her own family in her new novel。 Another Economist review。https://www。economist。com/books-and-a。。。 Leïla Slimani tells the story of her own family in her new novel。 。。。more

Clémence d'Harville ，

Très beau texte qu'on devine semi-autobiographique sur une famille singulière。 Leïla Slimani maîtrise parfaitement l'art de raconter。 Très beau texte qu'on devine semi-autobiographique sur une famille singulière。 Leïla Slimani maîtrise parfaitement l'art de raconter。 。。。more

Rebecca Cook ，

A beautifully written and heart rending story， told in the voices of several characters， about the period leading up to Moroccan independence。 I found the writing to be incredibly beautiful and evocative but at times the books jumps time periods and we see from perspectives of characters we have not previously heard of quite abruptly。 This book focuses on some intense and difficult subjects but is definitely worth reading and is very thought provoking。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher fo A beautifully written and heart rending story， told in the voices of several characters， about the period leading up to Moroccan independence。 I found the writing to be incredibly beautiful and evocative but at times the books jumps time periods and we see from perspectives of characters we have not previously heard of quite abruptly。 This book focuses on some intense and difficult subjects but is definitely worth reading and is very thought provoking。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Chiara Liberio ，

“At that moment， they both belonged to a camp that didn’t exist… All the feelings that rose inside them seemed like a form of treachery， and so they preferred to stay silent。”Otherness， identity， culture clash and non-belonging are at the core of this sweeping historical novel set in Morocco in the period 1947 to 1955， the dawn of Moroccan independence from France。 In this time of growing discontent toward the French occupiers we meet Mathilde， a tall， green-eyed Alsatian woman married to Amine， “At that moment， they both belonged to a camp that didn’t exist… All the feelings that rose inside them seemed like a form of treachery， and so they preferred to stay silent。”Otherness， identity， culture clash and non-belonging are at the core of this sweeping historical novel set in Morocco in the period 1947 to 1955， the dawn of Moroccan independence from France。 In this time of growing discontent toward the French occupiers we meet Mathilde， a tall， green-eyed Alsatian woman married to Amine， a Moroccan soldier in the French army she met during WW2。 They have just arrived in Meknes on an old cart， ready to take possession of Amine’s inherited farm 15 miles from town。 Is it going to work？ Soon the two are at odds。 Amine desires his wife but starts feeling the pull of the local male-dominated culture; he wishes his wife would let go of her spontaneity and European manners， which had attracted him in the first place， to become a more subdued woman。 In her extreme loneliness and sense of foreignness， Mathilde will have to learn how to fit in – often the hard way – while still trying to keep an emancipated role in the world and ties with French culture。 Characterisation is superbly nuanced and， despite the novel not being plot-driven， the account of how Mathilde and Amine's relationship unfolds is an engrossing reading experience。 The author paints a truly complex picture as the two are pariahs rejected both in their respective and adoptive communities。 This is the first volume of an intended trilogy。 Here Sleimani is intent on setting the scene， wonderfully recreating the complex historical context and the sense of place， the heat， life on the farm and in the town – the medina with its “ancestral values” and “the European town， a laboratory of modernity”。 She also gives life to a strong cast of secondary characters， representing different positions from superstitious peasants， to fanatics， colonists and Francophiles 。 An excellent postcolonial novel and a thought-provoking read。My thanks to the publisher for an arc of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Karen Radford ，

Full disclosure， I loved Leila Slimani’s previous book “Lullaby” so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her latest novel “In The Country of Others”。 It tells the story of Mathilde a young French woman who leaves her home for a new life in Morocco having married Amine。 Mathilde is desperate for adventure and bored with small town life， so when she meets and falls in love with a dashing young army recruit she thinks her life has changed for the better。 She moves to his family farm in Moro Full disclosure， I loved Leila Slimani’s previous book “Lullaby” so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her latest novel “In The Country of Others”。 It tells the story of Mathilde a young French woman who leaves her home for a new life in Morocco having married Amine。 Mathilde is desperate for adventure and bored with small town life， so when she meets and falls in love with a dashing young army recruit she thinks her life has changed for the better。 She moves to his family farm in Morocco to begin her new life and has to learn the traditions， and language of her new homeland。 Life is hard for her and soon she understands what she has sacrificed for love。 I found this book heartbreakingly sad at times。 The depiction of life for women in a country full of traditions and ideas that mean they have no say and virtually no freedom seems alien to a modern day reader。 Mathilde’s desperate search for happiness and fulfilment is so movingly portrayed。 Amine is at times a modern thinker - especially when it comes to the education of his daughter and his farming practices but then he contradicts this by his attitude to his younger sister who is forced into a marriage against her will。 I loved all the characters in this book as they were so clearly depicted - I felt I knew them。 The book is set against the backdrop of Morocco fighting for independence from France and I found this fascinating as its a subject I know virtually nothing about and it made me want to find out more。 I realise I haven’t said a great deal about the story in this review and I have done this on purpose as one of the delights of this book is discovering where life takes Mathilde and Amine so to say too much would spoil that。I loved this book and giving it only 5 stars seems inadequate for what is in my opinion fabulous， masterly writing。 I can’t wait to read Leila Slimani’s next book， and the one after too…。。Thanks to NetGalley， Faber and Faber Ltd for the opportunity to read this ahead of its UK publication。 。。。more

Caz ，

Oh boy I loved this book。 Rich， layered， wonderful。

Álvaro Curia ，

4

Katrien ，

3，5 ster

Lucille ，

The Country of Others is the first of a trilogy apparently based on Leila Slimani's family and it reminded me of the scope of the series of Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrante。After the end of WW2 Mathilde， a young French woman marries Amine， a Moroccan soldier。 In the hope of adventure she leaves her home in Alsace to live and farm in Amine's native land。 The couple builds a family together during the 1950s against the background of Moroccan independence。 Mathilde soon realises how hard and dif The Country of Others is the first of a trilogy apparently based on Leila Slimani's family and it reminded me of the scope of the series of Neopolitan novels by Elena Ferrante。After the end of WW2 Mathilde， a young French woman marries Amine， a Moroccan soldier。 In the hope of adventure she leaves her home in Alsace to live and farm in Amine's native land。 The couple builds a family together during the 1950s against the background of Moroccan independence。 Mathilde soon realises how hard and different life is for a non-native woman and feels marginalised。 Her mixed-race daughter Aicha， a sensitive and observant girl， suffers her own problems growing up but I sensed the result would be a strong-willed young woman。 I did not enjoy the dense prose employed in The Country Of Others although， as in Slimani's prior contemporary novels， the characterisation is exceptional。 The description of the clashing of cultures is also well-observed and for many readers this may be enough reason to enjoy the novel。 Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the opportunity to read and review The Country of Others although I do hope Ms。 Slimani writes more in the vein of Lullaby and Adele in the future。 。。。more

Clara Fernandes ，

Uma bela saga familiar e a tocante história de Mathilde， uma jovem francesa que escolhe Marrocos nos conturbados anos 1950s， que ousa ser diferente， mas a quem não resta senão aceitar as tradições， trabalhar a terra e deixar-se levar。

Mafalda Ruas ，

Viver no país dos outro é viver ao ritmo de uma canção colectiva que não é a nossa。 E， quando o exótico se desvanece e ficamos só com o desconforto da saudade？O país dos outros é também o nosso país， como para Selma， onde os costumes que não se agarram à nossa pele e queremos ser mais estrangeiros。 É um livro muito bonito que nos fala de viver longe… do nosso país， da cidade， da liberdade。 Tem umas personagens belíssimas que nos deixam saudades。

Simone ，

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。I found the narration style really cold and detached and therefore couldn't muster any feelings， good or bad， towards any of the characters and couldn't care less about what happened to them。 Too observational and meandering without enough insights for my tastes。 I found it hard to engage and often found my mind wondering whilst reading this。 I envisioned a different type of story from reading the blurb and this Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review。I found the narration style really cold and detached and therefore couldn't muster any feelings， good or bad， towards any of the characters and couldn't care less about what happened to them。 Too observational and meandering without enough insights for my tastes。 I found it hard to engage and often found my mind wondering whilst reading this。 I envisioned a different type of story from reading the blurb and this couldn't be further away from my expectations。 Maybe my assumptions have prevented me from being able to appreciate the sentiments the author wished to convey as others seem to have enjoyed this much more than me。 。。。more

Zoe Giles ，

I liked the setting of this book as well as the historical narrative that it incorporates with the clash between the French colonialists and the Moroccan nationalists following World War Two。 I’m always keen to read more books set in different countries and I had not yet read one about Morocco so I do feel I learnt from this book about the history of the country。 I wasn’t entirely engrossed in the story though and when I reflect on why I think that it was written with an almost detachment to the I liked the setting of this book as well as the historical narrative that it incorporates with the clash between the French colonialists and the Moroccan nationalists following World War Two。 I’m always keen to read more books set in different countries and I had not yet read one about Morocco so I do feel I learnt from this book about the history of the country。 I wasn’t entirely engrossed in the story though and when I reflect on why I think that it was written with an almost detachment to the characters in a way so that I couldn’t really connect with any of them。 At times a new character would pop up and it would go in to a lot of detail describing this new character and their past and then would just drop them and carry on with the story and I’d be left a little confused as to why。 I did like the themes it explored， not just the political climate of Morocco but the issues of gender inequality that was felt by almost all of the women in the novel， including the young girl。 Overall， it was an interesting read in terms of the setting and political and social themes that was explored throughout， but I couldn’t emotionally connect to the story or characters。 。。。more

Sharon ，

An interesting read from a period in history I knew nothing about。Mathilde meets and marries her Moroccan husband， Amine， when he spends time in Alsace fighting in the war for France。 She is young and has a very romantic and naive idea of married life in Morocco。On arriving in Morocco she quickly realised that it won’t all be as perfect as she thought， but she works hard to adapt and accept her role as a French wife and mother in a very Arabic family。I did feel that the book dragged on a little An interesting read from a period in history I knew nothing about。Mathilde meets and marries her Moroccan husband， Amine， when he spends time in Alsace fighting in the war for France。 She is young and has a very romantic and naive idea of married life in Morocco。On arriving in Morocco she quickly realised that it won’t all be as perfect as she thought， but she works hard to adapt and accept her role as a French wife and mother in a very Arabic family。I did feel that the book dragged on a little and so struggled to finish it 。。。more

Anastasia Ts。 ，

Στο "Βιβλίο της Δευτέρας" στο Spotify υπαρχει η άποψή μου https://open。spotify。com/episode/1jUq。。。 Στο "Βιβλίο της Δευτέρας" στο Spotify υπαρχει η άποψή μου https://open。spotify。com/episode/1jUq。。。 。。。more

Vincent Saint-Cyr ，

It is the second book that i read Leila Slimani， i believe i will take a new one。There is some aspect of her writting a bit harsh that i am not very fan， but it remain a joy to read。I really like the woman carathere in this book， the men looks to me less interesting （Including Amine the husband of Mathilde）， in excpetion of the dhungarin doctor。The subject is also universel， and you do not need to know much about Maroco or the colonization to enter in the story。Maybe this novel should get a seco It is the second book that i read Leila Slimani， i believe i will take a new one。There is some aspect of her writting a bit harsh that i am not very fan， but it remain a joy to read。I really like the woman carathere in this book， the men looks to me less interesting （Including Amine the husband of Mathilde）， in excpetion of the dhungarin doctor。The subject is also universel， and you do not need to know much about Maroco or the colonization to enter in the story。Maybe this novel should get a second tome。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=In the Country of Others

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=In the Country of Others&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,In the Country of Others&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0