Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow: A Novel [Paperback]

First off, may I just say how happy I was to learn the author was 19 when she wrote this, after Kaavya Viswanathan's plagiarism was excused because of her age, as if it's impossible for a young writer to write an original story without "internalizing" half a dozen other (better) books. This is patronizing and untrue.

Anyway, (getting off my soapbox) the book is a coming of age novel about a Moroccan teenager whose father has left her and her mother, and who lives in a low income part of France. The heroine's economic situation is the polar opposite of Holden Caulfield's so her cynicism about her future doesn't come across as a pose. Things are bleak all around, but eventually, they improve for her and her mother. To tell more would be giving away too much for the book is fairly short.

The book is compulsively readable, and Doria, the heroine, is an engaging and perceptive narrator. However, there were a few flaws. When I read a novel, I expect the scenes to eventually build up to a climax, rather than just be strung together. With this book, it felt like things improved a bit, the narrator told us (rather than the author showing) that she was now more optimistic and then it ended, just like that. It felt like the author got called away for dinner mid-scene and never went back to wrap things up in a more cohesive manner. The heroine seemed to jump from pessimism to optimism rather abruptly, rather than growing progressively happier. But the reader won't begrudge her, her better fortune.

I am both an English teacher and an international traveler. During my travels, I have visited France six times with the intentions of not only seeing the magnificent historical landmarks, but also to interact intimately with the various communities and cultures that I encounter there. Based on my experiences and relationships with people of North African Arab descent in Paris, Guene's "Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow" honestly examines the stark, painful reality of being broke, Arab, and a girl in a society that alienates people of color (unless you are an American - that's a whole different story, though), and within a male-dominated culture that sometimes regards females as inferior beings. The amount of hopelessness born of a scenario like this one can be bone-crushing, and yet Guene's protagonist - neglected by her father, ridiculed by some of the neighbors because she wears thrift shop clothes, and who resides directly outside of Paris, but doesn't feel any rays from the City of Light shining on her - struggles to clutch on to some slivers of joy that most people would probably just take for granted.

Overall, the beauty of Guene's story, though, is that it transcends the limitations placed on her life as a poor Arab girl in France. We feel Doria's angst over getting her first kiss, which definitely wasn't scripted in some Hollywood fairytale. We can also feel her father's abandonment - and underneath it, the searing rage - that she strives to overcome as she encourages her mother to get an education, and tries to do the same herself. These ideas are so universal, and most young people can relate (heck, as a 30 year-old woman, I can still relate! :) In an age of Arab-bashing, it's nice to see the perspective of a young Arab woman receive positive international attention. Bravo to Guene! She wrote this bestseller at 19...that fact alone inspires me to really encourage my students to write, write, write. Reaching out through writing opens so many doors, and Guene is a living witness.

I am a believer that all of our humanity is closely linked. From Paris to Parris Island, the concepts of hope, dreams, family, identity, first love, alienation, emotional hunger, and longing for something more from life resonate within us all and inextricably bind us together.

In my professional and personal opinion, I would definitely advocate for this novel to be included in school curricula. Not only is it a current treatise on the state of growing up in today's mind-boggling world, but it also deals with that issue from a fresh, diverse, and international perspective. I think that "Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow" CAN and WILL teach young people to see for themselves just how much we all really have in common instead of high-lighting our differences.

This book is captivating and very interesting both for its topic and timing. The book illustrates what it means to be a Muslim immigrant living in Europe from the perspective of a teenager. It is funny and sad at times. I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the complex relationships between religions and cultures in today's world.