yvespiders's reviews
186 reviews

Informational (even for me as an adult) and a fantastic blend of nonfiction and fiction for kids. But it would have been a perfect rating if they at least dropped some hints about where the cat hid,  or subtly illustrated the cat's location. 
 
This was purchased by me. 

Djebar's short story collection is a subversive response to Eugène Delacroix's orientalist painting of the same name and to the patriarchical silencing of women after the Algerian war. Each story stands on their own, though the overarching theme is about the sacrifice  women have made to gain independence from France's oppression, and how the very nation they helped free repaid them by hiding and silencing them. The whole collection is absolutely devastating.
 
I enjoyed some stories more than others and there was one that I still haven't fully wrapped my head around. But if you're  able to find this book, i urge you to get it.  The two longest stories are outstanding works of art and Djebar's postface is an excellent, post-colonial analysis of the painting by Delacroix.
  
The eponymous story is my favorite for its well-edited, cinematic images and surrealism. I went back to re-read it after finishing the book and noticed things I hadn't picked up on the first time (e.g., it seems like four characters are re-imagined versions of the four women in Delacroix's painting). I don't usually get attached to short stories because I feel that length is needed to really expand character, but this was one that I felt deep in my soul. 

Read it two times, pretty much back to back. If you're looking to get into James Baldwin's works, this is the best place to start. It is short, timeless, and it showcases Baldwin's brilliant mind. The first essay (the letter to his nephew) would be a great companion piece to Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates.