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Book reviews for "Abouzeid,_Leila" sorted by average review score:

Year of the Elephant: A Moroccan Woman's Journey Toward Independence and Other Stories (Modern Middle East Literature in Translation Series)
Published in Paperback by Univ of Texas Press (January, 1990)
Authors: Layla Abu Zayd, Barbara Parmenter, Elizabeth Warnock Fernea, and Leila Abouzeid
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Extraordinary journey
Leila Abouzeid's novel and accompanying short stories are all the more remarkable because, at the time this collection was published (1989), it was the first time a novel by a Moroccan woman had been translated from Arabic into English.

The contents of the book were also radical: that of a female activist facing divorce in mid-life and her struggle to survive when her rights were perilously few in a society that did not accommodate her situation. Rather, it punished her for the failed marriage. I read this book back to back with Malika Oufkir's harrowing account of her family's 20 year imprisonment in Morocco. Abouzeid's story touches on some similar issues: that of revolt, torn allegiances, political and personal persecution in a country fraut with power struggles. Oufkir was a member of the elite who went from palace to prison, from being somebody to nobody. On the face of it, Abouzeid's heroine Zahra led a more ordinary life although her other life as an activist was extraordinary. She had to muster even more courage after her divorce and the near impossible task of rebuilding her life. Like Oufkir, she went from being somebody to nobody with the loyalties of family and friends in tatters. Zahra is divorced, illiterate and without economic resources, but finds strength within her Muslim faith. This is an illuminating account of Morocco's struggle for independence through the eyes of a working class woman on her own path to personal independence.

A must read for Western feminists and Western women in general. It is a window to another world where women fought and still fight different battles, and some that are the same.

In a world bound in chains
In a society where women's voices can not be heard, Leila made her voice clearly audiable for the whole world to hear her. The freedom to give her perspective and beliefs were evident, as she boldly used her autobiography, to speak on behalf of the Muslim Moroccan women and citizens. She corrected any misconceptions that are normally made about Islam and Muslim women throughout her intricate piece of literature. After reading this novel, I had a better understanding of Morocco's history as well as the Muslims who inhabited the country. As a Christian, it is no wonder that the Muslims do not have a good attitude towards many Christians, for look at the poor example the Nasaras (the Christian French colonists) displayed to the Moroccans, the injustice and cruelty they gave them, it disgusts me. Leila Abouzeid did a wonderful job in the providing the readers an opportunity to get into the mind and the emotions of a typical Moroccan that had to tolerate and endure through the hardships of unjust French colonialism. I completely agree with her perspective on the West and it's self-sufficient ways, for being full of self-interest is so against God's Word! The struggle for power is the main concern for the evil world, instead of the struggle for peace. We must work together to make this world a more righteous environment for our children to live in, wallah. Peace can begin with one person, so let us attempt to make harmony with our brothers and sisters, for the struggle for independence in our daily lives can be less painful if we make conscience effort, inshallah.


Return to Childhood: The Memoir of a Modern Moroccan Woman (Modern Middle East Literatures in Translation Series)
Published in Paperback by Univ of Texas Press (March, 1999)
Authors: Layla Abu Zayd, Heather Logan Taylor, Leila Abouzeid, and Logan Taylor Heather
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Dense text loses reader
There are delightful passages in this memoir and there are interesting details of the Maroccan fight for independence. But there is little of how it felt to grow up in Marocco 50 years ago; and even less description of what the country or the country side was like or looked like.
What this book has in abundance, and it is quite impressive in this respect, is an attempt to transcribe conversations; it shows quite a lot of story-telling in its most intimate manner -- among family members. This repeated story-telling from three different generations reveals how villagers evolve and perpetuate biases or points of view that are then repeated from generation to generation.
But what this book lacks is clarity. I wonder if this was not a problem of translation from the Arabic. The oral stories are told often without a prior reference for the pronouns "her, she, him , or he," making it difficult to understand. Not once, not twice, but many, many times I had to read over and reread again the same story looking for a reference and more often than not ending up, just going on without having a grip on who said what about exactly whom. And it is my belief that, every time a careful reader has to stop and go back to read again and still be left in a state of uncertainty, something is wrong with that text. Because I believe that Ms. Abouzeid is a good writer, I have to blame the translator -- which in this case is unfortunately, Ms. Abouzeid herself. Three stars -- Two taken out for reading difficulty.


The Last Chapter
Published in Paperback by Amer Univ in Cairo Pr (April, 2003)
Authors: Leila Abouzeid and John Liechety
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