Kheir Inch'Allah

Yousra, aged 36, looks back with detachment, humour and tenderness on the upbringing she received. From her father, who had been told he was expecting a boy; from her mother, trapped by her status as a married woman; from school... and the Draris, a gang of young lads from her neighbourhood in whom she finds refuge, to the point of mimicking their behaviour. This upbringing and her search for identity greatly influence the image she projects and, above all, the image she has of herself. In this context, where the world ultimately forces her to choose, she loses her bearings and agrees to marry the first young man who seems receptive to her ‘femininity’ – a marriage which, of course, will not last long. A rich, moving, generous and at times delightful account of a life, whose sensitivity should interest and touch all readers.