The Year of the Elephant

The Year of the Elephant was written by Leila Abouzeid's, it’s a novel full of short stories. One of which was about a female activist facing divorce in mid-life and her struggle to survive when her rights were already limited in a society that did not approve of her situation. Instead, it punished her for her failed marriage. Later I found that Abouzeid's story had some very similar issues.
Oufkir was a member of a high society, who went from the real world to prison, from being somebody to nobody. Abouzeid's heroine Zahra had a more ordinary life although her other life as an activist was extraordinary. She had to pick up even more courage after her divorce. Like Oufkir, she went from something big to nothing at all lossing family and friends. Zahra is divorced, illiterate and without money, but finds strength within her faith. This is story was about Morocco's struggle for independence, while being a working class woman, Trying to make a path to personal independence. Over all I really liked this book, and the different stories that came from it.