Fatimata: A novel of Resilience, Courage and Integration Through Sport

by Didier Périès, Ian Thomas Shaw (Editor)

Forced into marriage with a man three times her age, Fatimata Dabo dares to leave Mauritania in search of freedom and a new life in Europe. Her story moves between her childhood in West Africa, her perilous escape across desert and sea, and her struggle to adapt to life in France. Rescued by a compassionate French couple, Marie and Santi, she finds refuge in Toulouse, where school and sport become her gateways to belonging in a society that challenges her deepest values and sense of self. At once a tale of courage, resilience, and transformation, Fatimata gives voice to the aspirations of youth and the unyielding desire to be free.

261 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2025