'A panoramic, ambitious tale.' The Times 'Exceptional.' Salman Rushdie 'Powerful.' Christine Mangan 'Captivating.' Elle 1944. After the Liberation, Mathilde leaves France to join her husband in Morocco. But life here is unrecognisable to this brave and passionate young woman. Her life is now that of a farmer's wife - with all the sacrifices and vexations that brings. Suffocated by the heat, by her loneliness on the farm and by the mistrust she inspires as a foreigner, Mathilde grows increasingly restless. As Morocco's struggle for independence intensifies, Mathilde and her husband find themsel... continue
The award-winning, #1 internationally bestselling new novel by the author of The Perfect Nanny, about a woman in an interracial marriage whose fierce desire for autonomy parallels her adopted country's fight for independence The world of men is just like the world of botany. In the end, one species dominates another. One day, the orange will win out over the lemon, or vice versa, and the tree will once again produce fruit that people can eat. In her first new novel since The Perfect Nanny launched her onto the world stage and won her acclaim for her "devastatingly perceptive character studies"... continue
'Engrossing' The Times 'Beautifully atmospheric. . . a panoramic, classic quality' Financial Times The seductive, vibrant new novel from international bestselling author Leïla Slimani. Morocco, 1968. As she stands at the window, Mathilde reflects on the opportunities before her, and all she has achieved. Looking out at her elegant - not to say expensive - garden, the roses, brought in from Marrakech, have bloomed and their sweet, fresh scent pervades the air. Anything feels possible, and she is determined to celebrate it. Don't they have the right to enjoy life, after dedicating their best yea... continue