La Filla Estrangera - The Estranged Daughter, in my own translator, I´ve had access to the German version of the book, translated from Catalan by Michael Ebmeyer - speaks on a strong feminine voice, the voice of women estranged from traditional pressures, yet liberated by the weight of the social encumbrances.
The first person she-narrator of the story is a young woman, born in Morocco and living in Spain with her mother since her childhood years. One of those kids whose successes in school may turn them into examples of integration and success among people with migration background - her outstanding high-school graduation grades were featured on TV.
But then follows the normal journey of a woman belonging to a traditional society: finding a husband - in her case, a cousin that relocates to Spain, who unable to work yet, spends his time cracking sunflower seeds bought with her money in the living room where her mother is cleaning - adopting a certain modest way of dressing, covering her hair, doing menial jobs just for survival, no time to invest in her hobbies and passions - like writing.
We are following her throughthe estrangement process, step by step are we shared the details of her private encounters, the questioning, the refusal to comply, the struggle to maintain a no-go area, her private realm. It is the story of rebelious girls and women, who see themselves caught between her family and their own emancipation.
What I´ve personally found outstanding in this story is the unique feeling of time passing that one has while reading this book. You can seize the moments of each episode, through descriptions of moments delineating past and present, immediate past and instantaneous present.
Najat El Hachmi is definitely my latest discovery in terms of talented women writers and I am looking forward to discover more of her writings, hopefully in Catalan as well.
Rating: 5 stars
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