Faiza Guene is a French writer and director. She was born in France in 1985 to parents of Algerian origin. Spotted at a writing workshop at the age of 18, Faïza made an astonishing literary debut with the international bestseller, Kiffe kiffe demain (Hachette littérature, 2004), which has been translated into over thirty languages. This was followed by two further novels Du rêve pour les oufs. (Hachette Littératures, 2006) and Les gens du Balto. (Hachette Littératures, 2008).
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Men Don’t Cry
Men Don’t Cry invites us into the home of Mourad Chennoun in Nice, where his father spends his days fixing things in the backyard, his mother bemoans the loss of her natal village in Algeria, and the name Dounia is taboo.
When Mourad’s father has a stroke, he is forced to rise above his fear of becoming an overweight bachelor, tied down to home by his mother’s cooking, and take steps to bridge the gulf between his family and estranged sister.
This quest takes him to the Paris suburbs where he starts his teaching career, and falls into the world of undocumented Algerian toyboys and discovers that Douania has become a staunch feminist, aspiring politician and fierce assimilationist.Can Mourad adapt to his new, fast-paced Parisian life and uphold his family’s values? A poignant coming-of-age story from the widely-acclaimed author of Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow.