J’ai 14 ans et ce n’est pas une bonne nouvelle
(I am 14 years old and this is not good news) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Efi goes home to her village for two months on holiday, proud of her outstanding school marks and delighted to see her family again. But she has no idea the summer is soon to become a nightmare. She is not allowed out freely, she has to be chaperoned wherever she goes and is forced to wear a long robe that hides her body. She is fourteen, her father has debts to pay, her mother is pregnant again, and she has no choice: she must drop out of school. Her dream of being an engineer is dashed as her father announces his plan to marry her off. It is all arranged – and her father has negotiated a great deal for her.
Edited by: Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Comment:
Efi’s shock, feeling of betrayal, and the violence she faces are shared by millions of young women worldwide. Jo Witek’s novel is not set in a clearly identified country: it could be anywhere the practice still goes on. The first-person, present tense narrative is sober, fast-paced, detailed, and highly effective in style, avoiding the trap of condescending Western moralism by focusing on the voice of the young woman as a unique, and yet universal, spokeswoman for the rights of women and children worldwide.