“The ‘woman without a funeral’ is Zoulikha, who once lived wall to wall with Assia Djebar’s family in Cherchell. Quietly weaving a web of resistance against French rule among the town’s women, she fled to the mountains in 1957, was captured by the colonial army, and disappeared without a trace. This extraordinary, outspoken, fun-loving and educated woman has remained present in her sparkling vitality to all who were around her. Her two daughters, Madame Lionne, the fortune teller, neighbors and companions bring her back to life with their voices, thereby gaining new strength themselves and stepping out of the shadows. And the narrator herself – she finally finds the courage to approach this figure and rediscover the space of her childhood.” (from the publisher’s description)
Assia Djebar 2004: Woman without a Funeral. Zurich: Unionsverlag
If you don’t have a bookstore worth supporting near you, you can also buy the book from the alternative non-profit online bookstore links-lesen.de, which supports political projects with the profits. The link to the book can be found here.