Description
Book SynopsisFifteen-year-old Doria isn't in a good place. Or to be precise: she's in the sadly misnamed Paradise Estate on the outskirts of Paris. Her father has gone off back Morocco to find a wife who can give him a boy, and her illiterate, non French-speaking mother is having to fend for herself with a cleaning job in a grim motel. What's more, her favourite soap star has turned out to be gay and it looks like the only school that is going to accept Doria is the one for future hairdressers. Still, it could be worse: Doria could be like Samra, the girl in the flat above, whose father doesn't let her out, or Youssef who has been banged up for a year for dealing in drugs and stolen cars. At least Hamoudi - twenty-eight and the coolest guy on the estate - is her friend. And at least she gets a free weekly session with psychologist Mrs Burland, who is about the only person who listens, even if she doesn't quite understand...
In this fabulous first novel, Faiza Guene has created an unforgettable voice. Doria is both clued up and innocent, acutely aware of what's in store for her and powerless to change it. She is funny, clever and tragically trapped. But in the end, her dogged determination not to be down-trodden and humiliated wins through and it looks like things can only get better.
Trade ReviewFull of humanity and wry humour, stuffed with memorable characters, praised to the skies by
Le Monde,
Le Figaro,
Elle and just about every other newspaper and magazine, the novel is a kind of French
White Teeth. L'Expresse's critic called Guene "a phenomenon filled with vital energy"' -- Jon Henley * Guardian *
A slim, wry, slangy first novel . . . The mocking but surprisingly un-angry Doria makes some unexpected observations -- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times *
There's humanity, humour, toughness and much more in this book -- Wendy Cooling * The School Librarian *
Written in sparkling form . . . A hit in France and deserves to be so here -- Enid Stephenson * Carousel *
Faiza Guene has produced in Doria a teenage heroine who speaks up for a new and previously unheard cast of dispossessed characters . . . Entertaining as well as searing, a sparky, engaging story . . . This is literature that needs to be read -- Nick Tucker * Independent *
