#91 Hope Has Two Daughters

Hope Has Two Daughters
By Monia Mazigh

A novel about Tunisia. Where is Tunisia anyway? In Northern Africa, close to Morocco.

A young woman grows up in Tunis, during the time of the bread riots of 1984. She longs for escape and freedom from the repression of the political regime. Chance leads her to the American library at the embassy, and she starts reading English novels. She meets a young Canadian computer technician, and they fall in love. The couple marries, but Nadia is disowned by her parents. She moves to Canada and the couple starts their life.

The novel is told in alternating times and voices. Nadia's voice tells her story in 1984, and her daughter Lila's voice tells her story in 2011.

In 2011, Nadia sends her daughter Lila to Tunisia to improve her Arabic. She stays with old friends of her mother. Lila becomes involved with another political movement which leads to an uprising and a revolt against the current leader, who is finally deposed by the will of the people.

Rating: 3.5/5
Recommendation: Written by a Tunisian Canadian. An interesting read, though the writing is somewhat simple. It could almost be a teen novel.