Breaking the Silence: French Women's Voices from the Ghetto

"The translation of "Neither Whores Nor Doormats allows us, finally, to listen directly to the voices of Muslim women in France. Fadela Amara's book is at once autobiography, an analysis of the degradation of male-female relations in France's working-class suburbs, and an engrossing chronicle of a political movement. Helen Chenut's deft translation and comprehensive introduction introduces us to the complex universe inhabited by young women of North African descent in contemporary France."--Susanna Barrows, author of "Drinking: Behavior and Belief in Modern History "This book delivers a timely and evocative corrective to stereotypes of Muslim women. Amara discusses with sensitivity the complex gender position of Muslim women in a Western European country in which the conflict between liberal republican ideals and cultural norms have had particularly violent consequences for women. Chenut's fine translation brings Amara's words to life and her excellent introduction places the Muslim women's movement in the context of the racial and cultural tensions that plague France's banlieues today."--Laura Levine Frader, co-editor, "Gender and Class in Modern EuropeFadela Amara is the author of 'Breaking the Silence: French Women's Voices from the Ghetto', published 2006 under ISBN 9780520246218 and ISBN 0520246217.