Du pain et du jasmin

by Monia Mazigh

1984 : les émeutes du pain — 2010 : la Révolution du jasmin. Deux périodes tumultueuses vécues à près de trente ans de distance par une mère et sa fille.

Nadia quitte sa Tunisie natale pendant les émeutes qui secouent le pays en 1984. Révoltée contre ses parents, elle est surtout indignée par la culture du silence et la soumission que la jeunesse ne peut plus tolérer. Reniée par sa famille, elle émigre au Canada et y refait sa vie.

Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, sa fille, Lila, encouragée par sa mère, séjourne à Tunis chez un couple ami, Tante Neila et Oncle Mounir. Elle fera face à une autre révolution, celle qui enflammera bientôt tout le monde arabe et à laquelle elle va finir par s’associer.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, School, France, Tunisia, Coming Of Age, Historical

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2015

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope Has Two Daughters by Monia Mazigh is a beautifully written historical fiction.

This novel is set in Tunisia and follows Nadia and her daughter Lila - these two women's stories are intertwined over generations (1980s and 2010s) that will leave you feeling breathless. Riots, studying Arabic, family tensions and drama all drive this story forward by the beautiful story telling from Monia Mazigh.

This novel shows the evolving stories of the two women, and how they aren't so different. Despite being apart of different times, the themes in their lives remain the same. This story shows you hope and survival in different times of struggle, and can be very motivational if you read it under the right context. While this book may not be a non-fiction novel, it almost feels so real with Monia's descriptive and realistic writing.

This isn't the best book I've ever read, but it was a good read. While it may not be a five star book in my eyes, seeing how much potential this author has makes the book worth it. Yes, it's not super fast moving. And of course, there is room to grow within the story (some plot lines could have been left out, there could have been more description in certain areas) but it still makes for a great read. It's not a book I would leave out of conversations - it is a recommended read from my end. That being said, Monia Mazigh has room to grow as an author, and I'm sure the next book will be even better than this one (no matter what she chooses to write, whether it be a continuation/similar story or a completely different one). If her next novels feel as personal and touching as this one, I'm sure they will be fantastic.

Three out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m lowkey emotional like that was PRETTY GOOD and my french definitely improved a bunch so that’s a bonus!! i lovelovelove intertwining storyline novels like they’re just so much more exciting although um the climax of this book was…. nonexistent?!!?? and the ending was really rushed imo i feel like there was much more potential to end it off on a more impactful/thought-provoking note but oh welllll i’m proud of myself for actually reading this book because a) it was a class novel study thing and b) it was completely in french and contained a bunch of words i had never seen in my life!! and i appreciated the connections to ottawa (boring city.) but i’m pretty sure no one outside of ottawa knows of the existence of this book💀

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very interesting historical fiction novel. The title and the synopsis were really intriguing to me. The plot was well thought out and had lots of attractive qualities: lots of action, politically charged events, family dynamics, deep roots among friends, travel to a little known country. It seemed to have it all....
BUT.... the delivery was lacking. The story moves quickly, and bounces back and forth between Nadia as a rebellious 18 year old in 1984 in a country in revolution. She wants to change the world, to live on the edge, to do something exciting. Then there is Lila, Nadia's Canadian born and raised 18 year old in 2010 who is going to spend the summer in her mother's homeland to learn the language and something about her mother's country...which is again in crisis in a revolution.
The story has some great descriptions, some wonderful "aha moments" for both mother and daughter as each chapter describes their journeys of self adventure and self growth. The short coming is in that the characters don't develop as deeply as you would hope or expect, and the adventure is shallow compared to what it could be.
I'm a political junkie, so the civil unrest and the peoples' uprising kept my interest, but the story should have paid more attention to the two daughters, their development, and their growth.
Lastly, the story ends rather abruptly, for all the detail that went before it.
This author has great potential, and a true gift for story telling, so I will read another of her novels, with the hope that the writing is broader and deeper and that the fullness of character is given to more detail.

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, maybe I should have read it in its original French, because I found it hard to finish. The simplistic, juvenile turns of phrases really turned me off, though the concept of this book is a thing of beauty.

[Juliette Sarrazin · Rating 1 out of 5]

J'ai arrêté de lire à la page 144. Personnellement, j'ai vraiment peu apprécié ce livre.

Le début était très mélangeant ; ça m'a pris 5 chapitres avant de réaliser qu'il y a deux narratrices complètement différente (rendue au 3ème chapitre et après avoir relut les dates, je croyais que c'était la même personne mais dans le futur, mais non - c'est sa fille, du moins je crois).

Le style d'écriture ne me dérangeait pas au début (les descriptions sont très bonnes), mais même lui a finit par me faire tiquer. C'est surtout au niveau de la façon dont parlent les personnages - ils parlent un français qu'on n'entendrait jamais dans du français parlé, encore moins si c'est du français canadiens. Ils sortent des expressions de tout bord tout côté, et qui font superflues et exagérées - elles donnent l'impression d'être forcées dans les paroles du personnage.

Les personnages manquent aussi tous de personnalité - ils sont 2D, ennuyants et inconsistent. Ils n'existent pas d'eux-même, seulement pour l'histoire, et font des fois des voltefaces complets sur leurs opinions en quelques paragraphes sans qu'on puisse comprendre pourquoi, n'y même pourquoi ils avaient un opinion pour commencer. On ne ressent pas d'attachement aux personnages, ils ont tous l'air d'avoir plus ou moins la même personnalité, de faire plus ou moins les mêmes choses. On ne comprend même pas pourquoi ils s'impliquent ou se sentent concerné.e.s par les problèmes qu'ils confrontent.

Et que dire de la morale ! Je comprends que le sujet dont traite les livres est important, très important selon moi d'ailleurs, mais, honnêtement, ce livre fait que le sujet me tape sur les nerfs. C'est important de déclarer les injustices, mais le livre, en essayant de prouver ce point, de donner une leçon au lecteur, va beaucoup trop loin : C'est tout ce qu'on voit dans le livre. Les personnages, sans contexte et de manière qui souvent ne va pas avec le peu de personnalité qu'ils ont démontrés, vont ressortir des phrases, de grands arguments philosophiques et matures, pour dénoncer l'injustice et dire que c'est mal. Et ce l'est. Mais la façon dont ils délivrent ce message est beaucoup trop stéréotypé. Nous voyons des jeunes adultes agissant de manière similaire à des adolescents qui disent toujours ne rien comprendre nous ressortir d'un coup une critique profonde et réfléchie par rapport aux injustices et le fait que nous devons les combattre alors qu'eux-mêmes ne font que commencer à les voir ; il n'y a aucune profondeur, aucun développement chez le personnage, aucun lien avec le personnage.

Au final, c'est vraiment le genre de livres qui est souvent lu à l'école - similaire à la route de Chlifa. Il y a un trop grand focus sur la morale, les personnages sont sous-développés, l'histoire manque de sens, on ne s'attache pas. Je peux comprendre pourquoi beaucoup d'adolescents décident de ne pas continuer la lecture lorsqu'ils sont introduit à cette dernière par des livres comme celui-ci.

Ce n'est pas pour dire que l'auteure ou le message est mauvais - l'histoire a elle aussi beaucoup de potentiel. Le tout aurait tout simplement pu être un peu mieux retravaillé, développé. C'est un livre qui aurait pu avoir un message qui frappait très forts, ce sont juste plusieurs petites erreurs qui se sont accumulées et qui rendent le tout désagréable à lire. Selon moi.

(J'adore le titre en passant et le sujet de départ est bon et intéressant)

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

woaah look at me finally finishing a school-assigned book for the first time this year (albeit like 11 days late)

[Bushra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The book started off getting 4 stars but progressively got more disappointing, which landed it only 2 stars.

The idea behind the story actually has a lot of potential. However I found that the writing was quite poor, the plot was way too fast paced, and, in general, the entire book was lacking depth and character development. I felt that the author merely touched the whole story on the surface, leaving the reader with so many unanswered questions. I would have really liked it if the author dug deeper into Nadia's story as opposed to her style of alternating between Nadia and Lila's narratives, which did not allow for the reader to really get to know either character.

For this book to have been an amazing book, I think the author should have considered walking us through the details of Nadia's life, starting from 1984 to 2011. Lila's portions in the book, in my opinion, could have been omitted and it would not have been a problem as I found Lila's character to be unrealistic.

How could Lila have been so eager to change things in Tunisia when she barely knew anything about the people and the country? She was there for a few days and then just talking to Donia and her friends made her want to risk being put in jail all for the sake of justice? I just don't think that's realistic. When someone is not deeply connected to a country, they would not be willing to take such risks and make such sacrifices. The story would have been much more captivating and believable if it was Nadia who decided that the 2010/2011 revolution in Tunisia was her opportunity to get the justice that she craved back in 1984.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed because this book could have been a good book. However unfortunately I felt like I was reading a summary of events as opposed to a story full of details. The author had many opportunities to give us detail and insight about what both revolutions in Tunisia were like, but unfortunately decided not to.

[Lorraine Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Has Two Daughters is an historical fiction story which takes place almost entirely in Tunis, Tunisia. It is the story of two revolts at two different times in history, the first — the Bread Riots of 1984, the second the Arab Spring of 2010. The first is told in the words of Nadia, a young girl about to complete her matriculation at the Lycée; the second is told from the point of view of Lila, Nadia's daughter who has come to Tunis reluctantly to improve her Arabic language skills and vocabulary. But like her mother before her, Lila soon gets caught up with a small group of students who want to rid themselves of an oppressive regime and this time have the means of technology to help them organize students and labour unions across their country.

Right from the very first page of this novel, you realize that Nadia is caught up in a very different world from what western Europeans and N. Americans are familiar with, and even for Nadia, her day is different from a normal day. She feels the tension and knows something is not right but is unaware of how her life is about to change — the riots are about to begin and her Lycée is about to be under attack. Her best friend, Neila, is absent from school — Neila, whose father beats her and who plans to run off one day soon and marry her boyfriend, Mounir. But, Mounir is involved in the riots and within hours is arrested, beaten, and imprisoned. Nadia starts to understand the fear and oppression of the poor in her country and how the regime perpetuates poverty. She begins to rebel in her own way. Soon, escape to Canada is her only way to survive.

Lila knows next to nothing about her mother's past, her family, and the rumblings of dissatisfaction within Tunisia when she arrives to stay with Aunt Neila and Uncle Mounir to study the Arabic language for the summer. She finds the classes boring and her classmates more interested in culture than language — enjoying the nightlife and then talking about it in class in french instead of focusing on learning Arabic. The language of sex is, after all, universal. When Lila tries to use an Internet café and runs into language/cultural difficulties, a wealthy young neighbour, Donia, comes to her rescue and Lila cautiously reaches out to grasp her friendship. Soon Lila is caught up with Donia's friends and is not only learning everyday Arabic but also the language of dissent.

The similarities between the two revolts and the two daughters is striking throughout and while Lila thinks her mother will be frantic with worry if she finds out how she is becoming involved in revolution, she soon discovers that she and her mother are kindred spirits. This is the story of revolution, survival, hope, and healing — but mostly of hope. It is full of all the emotions of rebellion and the coming of age of both Lila and Tunisia. It is the fulfillment of the hope of those who seek a better life and are willing to take a chance. Mazigh says her story is not autobiographical but it is based on her personal knowledge and the history of her country. It is a riveting tale about women coming of age at pivotal moments of history and how hope can change the future.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember a lot about this novel, since I'm writing this almost 6 months after I finished it. I was disappointed in some ways, in other ways, I learned a lot. Worth a read.

And it ENDS, with a letter from Lila to Donia, in 2011.
"This summer I intend to come to see you in Tunisia. We'll plan a program. I won't be coming to learn Arabis. Definitely not! My ears are still ringing. And my training was more htan I needed. No, I want to go to Sidi Bouzid, to Siliana, to Gafsa, to Tozeur, and to the other towns of the interior. I know it will be hot, but I'd like to visit those towns, the ones that were left behind. I'd like to do something for those people. You see, I owe them something. I owe them the peace that I've found at last.
Hope to see you soon,
Lila "

Then Chapter Two BEGINS with her daughter years later, in the same country, where her daughter is visiting after she has moved to Canada.
"Tunis, November 30, 2010
No doubt about it, Mom was going to keep in touch, whether I answered or not. It was the fifth email she'd sent this morning. Was I okay, she wanted to know. Was I getting enough to eat, was everything calm in Tunis? Of course I was okay. And besides, what could possibly happen in this shithole of a country, where there were pickup artists, robbers, and lowlifes everywhere you turn? Mom wanted me to learn Arabic, wanted to me to learn about the monotonous life she'd had, wanted me to 'get to know my Tunisian heritage; as she never grew tired of insisting, every day, back in Ottawa."

Thus it BEGINS, in the first timeline (with an unusual choice of event). If it hadn't been recommended, I don't know if I would have wanted to continue.
"Tunis, January 3, 1984
I sat there grimacing in pain, legs splayed, butt glued to the toilet seat. Sharp cramps stabbed my bowels with clockwork precision. A stinking torrent of diarrhea gushed out of me like super-heated water from a geyser, bringing sudden relief from the intense pain I'd been suffering minutes before. I felt better already. I looked around me and out underneath the wooden door with the peeling paint. The restroom was filthy — the tile floor was the colour of the mud that had been tracked in by the restaurant customers. I heard steps in the cubicle next to mine, followed by a loud hiss of urine that seemed unending. Then came a whoosh as the toilet flushed. I sat there motionless, ashamed; I couldn't get up; I didn't want anyone to see me. I had no idea what exactly had happened. I'd stopped off for a keftaji at this greasy spoon. But I'd swallowed the last mouthful my bowels were growling so loud you could hear them. Violent cramps convulsed my whole body. I barely made it in time."

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mazigh's promise of revolution fizzles out. Read the whole review here http://bit.ly/2p90a8W

Hope Has Two Daughters by Monia Mazigh follows two young women, mother and daughter, as they face revolution and civil unrest 30 years apart. Nadia, in 1984, studies hard in school to better her life and make her parents proud when the so-called couscous riots begin, changing her life and her self, forever. In late 2010, Nadia’s daughter Lila is staying with her mother’s best friends Neila and Mounir, while working to improve her Arabic when she meets Donia, a wealthy young revolutionary whose unhappiness with the status quo is infectious.

Monia Mazigh knows a thing or two about revolution, having lived through the Tunisian bread riots in the 1980s. She is most famous for her relentless campaigning to return to husband to Canada after the US government deported him to Syria in 2002. Her experiences during this period of unrest and her emigration to Canada inform Hope Has Two Daughters. The novel definitely feels personal.

[Patty Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really 2.5 stars, not 3. The concept is very good: the author jumps back and forth between 1984 and 2010 in Tunisia, following 2 characters, mother and daughter, as they experience citizen uprisings in Tunisia. Nadia was finishing school when the "couscous riots" broke out in the '80s and woke her up to the problems in her society; her daughter Lila has travelled from her home in Canada to Tunisia to learn Arabic in 2010 when the Arab Spring starts. I didn't know anything about Tunisia or its history, so that was enjoyable.

The downfall of the book is that the writing isn't very good. It could possibly be the translation, as the book was written in French originally, but the translator has won awards so it's hard to say. Anyway, the attempts at character development are not convincing and there's just not much depth to any of it. But it does get better as the book goes on - the last half was more enjoyable than the first half.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary galley proof of this title from House of Anansi in exchange for a fair review.

Although Mazigh's writing style is problematic in places, she is a wonderful story-teller. The writing can lean toward flowery description, and at times veers off in unexpected directions, so a more experienced editor or translator would likely be an asset.
The juxtaposition of the 1984 Bread Riots and the 2010 Arab Spring is fascinating when seen from the eyes of a mother and her daughter.
I was surprised at Mozigh's sprinkling of references to sex--not what I expected. It just shows I had a stereotypical attitude of a writer who wears a hijab.
Thank you Monia Mazigh, for this enlightening story. Recommended for a YA audience.

[Neena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was encouraged to read this by several factors. First, it was set in Tunisia, which I know little about, and in my effort to read books set in, or authored from, as many world countries as possible, fulfills my Tunisia spot. Second, the author is the wife of a Canadian who was detained and tortured in Syria for several years, and his story and his wife's efforts to get him released, were well documented in the news. Third, part of the novel is set during the beginning of the "Arab Spring", which swept across countries in north Africa, and was the start of much political upheaval and change. I have visited countries in north Africa, so I was interested to learn more about this time period.

[Sandra Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel with mother and daughter experiencing decades apart the bread wars and the Arab Spring in Tunisia. Good incite into politics, gap between rich and poor and culture in Tunisia. Great read.

[Debbie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting side by side tale of two revolts in two time periods in Tunisia seen through the eyes of two young girls who are mother and daughter. One character grows up and through the couscous uprising and breaks away from a constricted view of what her life will be by marrying a Canadian and moving away. She sends her daughter back to study the language and this character gets involved in a new uprising. Eventually mother and daughter are together in the story and in the modern time. Essentially a story about growing up and seeing yourself for who you want to be and can be. And about friendships and ideals forged in youth.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did like the idea of this story but unfortunately the back and forth plot that did not really do a good job of fleshing out the characters and midway thru the book it became a slog.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

every single fucking star in the world. one of my top favourite books i've ever read. i'm in awe. this was so beautiful. such an eye opener for revolt and knowing when to speak out. i still have goose bumps... omg. EVERYONE PLEASE GO PICK THIS UP. i am so damn excited to meet the creator of this beautiful piece of art tonight... wow

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me till very close to the end of this book to figure out exactly what was going on - not sure if that was me or the style of writing.....but I definitely thought it was a good read.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read. Monia Mazigh's latest is a wonderful telling of personal and social revolutions across generations and countries.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully written historical novel based in Ottawa and Tunisia.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I picked this book up because among other things, I'm hoping to read a book from every country of the world, and the author's connections to Tunisia and Canada made this seem like a great choice. I loved learning more about Tunisia, since it turns out I knew nothing going into this book, but it felt like some aspects of the book were lacking. The parallels between the two storylines were awesome and I loved how the storylines came together, but both felt a bit rushed to the point I found it challenging to keep track of what was happening. However, the story was solid and I'd definitely love to read more from Mazigh in the future.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea for a book but...I found the writing simplistic and repetitive. I wanted to learn more about the two events and Tunisia in general but did not really like the characters. A quick read but too much bouncing back and forth between time periods.

[Ayca H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a rule where I finish every book no matter how boring it is but this one just annoyed me soooo much because I felt all the dialogue was so elementary and so literal and so cliche and I just COULD NOT READ MORE THAN HALF

[Betty-Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'était une histoire intéressante, je ne sais pas pourquoi elle a commencé comme ça, mais bon, peu importe. L'intrigue était vraiment bien développée et expliquée, j'ai vraiment aimé les personnages, même si parfois j'avais l'impression que les personnages participaient à des émeutes pour se sentir mieux et non pour aider la cause.

[anna ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

dont think it was written well enough, so had to dnf it after months of not even thinking about reading the rest of it - still on my search for some good north african lit

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story highlighting the growth of two young women during difficult times. The story is written in alternating chapters between mother and daughter. It was an enjoyable read and definitely worth picking up

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel. The story of Tunisia's ground level fight for independence is told in two voices; one was a young woman in the 1984 Bread Riots and one (her daughter) is a young woman during the start of Arab Spring in 2010-2011. The story flips with each chapter between 1984 and 201o. The title, I have just realised (from reading another book) is a quotation attributed to Augustine, "Hope has two daughters: anger and courage".

[Ian Wooder]

Hope Has Two Daughters was an extremely enjoyable read.

A historical fictional novel about Tunisia and the Bread Riot as well as modern Tunisia, this book not only held my interest but also taught me about what had gone on and what is going on in Tunisia.

The story is told from the perspective of the mother when she was just a teen in the 1980's and the daughter during the millenium. Both views are different in some ways but very much the same in other ways.

If you like historical fiction and learning about other cultures, I truly believe that you will enjoy this book.