Paola Rosà, journalist for L'Adige, will lead the discussion.
"In the house across the street, in the presence of my mother's fiancé, the imam, and the two witnesses, Omar, the appointed guardian, was blessing the marriage. Like the day after a bad dream, my father showed all the signs of the turmoil that disturbs. And yet, wasn't it he who had arranged this marriage? Hadn't he found and generously paid the two witnesses? Hadn't he hired the young widow who lived at the corner of our street to assist my mother?"
Double Repudiation
Repudiating one's wife for a non-existent fault, marrying her off to a compliant neighbor who will in turn repudiate her, allowing her to return to her former home, is not a common attitude. By orchestrating this farce, Aziz Zeitoun, a wealthy Muslim fisherman, believes he is adhering to the moral codes imposed by Algerian society. He represents the stern but just husband punishing the guilty woman, the impeccable father ensuring the exemplary conduct of his family, the sincere believer abiding by God's laws. However, his plan does not go as smoothly as expected. The neighbor fails to repudiate the woman within the designated time. An awful suspicion arises: perhaps they were already lovers. Everything unravels, Zeitoun gradually goes mad, severely injuring one of his daughters, who in turn slips into madness, while the rest of the family attempts to emancipate themselves from paternal tyranny. It will be the mother, "abducted" to London, who will facilitate the slow recovery of an identity long denied. Vibrant and full of fervor, Leïla Marouane’s writing in Double Repudiation oscillates between violence and fragility, between truth and silence, embracing the contradictions of a woman consumed by her passions and secrets, ultimately erupting in repressed pain and rage, leaving behind a chilling madness.
