In this vivid memoir, Denis Guenoun excavates his family's past and
progressively fills out a portrait of an imposing, enigmatic
father. Rene Guenoun was a teacher and a pioneer, and his secret
support for Algerian independence was just one of the many things
he did not discuss with his teenaged son. To be Algerian,
pro-independence, a French citizen, a Jew, and a Communist were
not, to Rene's mind, dissonant allegiances. He believed Jews and
Arabs were bound by an authentic fraternity and could only realize
a free future together. Rene Guenoun called himself a Semite, a
word that he felt united Jewish and Arab worlds and best reflected
a shared origin. He also believed that Algerians had the same
political rights as Frenchmen. Although his Jewish family was
rooted in Algeria, he inherited French citizenship and revered the
principles of the French Revolution. He taught science in a French
lycee in Oran and belonged to the French Communist Party. His
steadfast belief in liberty, equality, and fraternity led him into
trouble, including prison and exile, yet his failures as an
activist never shook his faith in a rational, generous future. Rene
Guenoun was drafted to defend Vichy France's colonies in the Middle
East during World War II. At the same time, Vichy barred him and
his wife from teaching because they were Jewish. When the British
conquered Syria, he was sent home to Oran, and in 1943, after the
Allies captured Algeria, he joined the Free French Army and fought
in Europe. After the war, both parents did their best to reconcile
militant unionism and clandestine party activity with the demands
of work and family. The Guenouns had little interest in Israel and
considered themselves at home in Algeria; yet because he supported
Algerian independence, Rene Guenoun outraged his French neighbors
and was expelled from Algeria by the French paramilitary
Organisation Armee Secrete. He spent his final years in Marseille.
Gracefully weaving together youthful memories with research into
his father's life and times, Denis Guenoun re-creates an Algerian
past that proved lovely, intellectually provocative, and dangerous.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
