Leila Slimani Explores Morocco’s Colonial Past in New Novel

In this novel, Slimani "takes readers on a journey through time and space in Morocco." "It is a historical novel in which I tell the story of Morocco in the 1960s-70s. In this story, I made a portrait of the life of my grandparents who had many secrets. We don’t know where we come from," she confides to the newspaper ABC. The author chose to write about colonization in Morocco because she would not be who she has become without colonization. "We have to talk about this subject without hatred. I tried to tell the story of people’s lives during the war and colonization. I wanted to put myself in the place of these people," she explains.

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Mathilde, Slimani’s grandmother who died five years ago, is the protagonist of the novel. The author recounts that she "was a very tall woman of Alsatian origin with blonde hair and green eyes. She was a very open person who loved life. When she arrived in Morocco after her marriage, she spoke several languages like Arabic, Berber, Spanish, German, etc. She had a hard time adapting to life in Morocco because she was a very modern and unconventional woman. She was also very passionate and preferred difficulty as a way of life," she testifies.

Slimani did not fail to highlight in this novel her fight for the defense of human rights. "I always try to defend universality. Being free or falling in love is a universal thing. We must claim freedom, equality and the right to live together. Morocco has also fought for human rights," added the author of "The Country of Others," who specifies that this novel is the first of a series of three. "I have almost finished the second novel. It will talk about Rabat and Casablanca in the 1960s. In this story, I will address the emancipation of women and the attack against Hassan II. I will mention the death of a dream because of the terrible repression that took place at that time," Slimani announced.