The Sand Child was written by Moroccan author Tahar Ben Jelloun and was published in 1985 in France. The novel discusses the impact of colonialism on Morroco, and also themes of gender, identity, and tradition. This story is continued in Jelloun’s later novel The Sacred Night.
This novel takes place in Morocco in the early 20th century and discusses Moroccan society at this time. Jelloun discusses and criticized certain aspects of Moroccan culture, including attitudes towards women. For example, the author discusses the fact that sons were highly favored over daughters. The novel has been praised for its lyrical and imaginative narrative style, and its effective criticism of traditional Moroccan values and customs, as well as Islamic law. The narrator of this story is a professional storyteller, who tells the characters’ story to an audience. As such, we see Jelloun draw upon the Arabic oral tradition through his narrative style.
