Begag, Azouz. Shantytown kid.

BEGAG, Azouz. Shantytown kid. Trans. by Naima Wolf and Alec G. Hargreaves. University of Nebraska, Bison Press. 212p. bibliog. c1986. 978-0-8032-6258-4. $15.95. SA *

A recent translation of Begag's 1986 portrayal of his youth in an Arab shantytown on the banks of the Rhone in Lyon, France, this autobiographic novel both charms and informs. A bright and sensitive child, Begag loves his small community but is nevertheless determined to excel at school and prove to his French teachers that he is as capable as his native French classmates. This ambition alienates him from his Arab classmates, but he continues to study. His memoir/novel follows him through his family's move to the center of Lyon and eventually, when he is about 12 years old, to their preparations to move to a large urban housing project.

As an adult, Begag became a member of the Chirac government in 2005 as Minister for Equal Opportunities. This position and his own experiences provide the material for his reflections on the situation of the North African community living in France (somewhat against the wishes of the French). The Bison edition adds a glossary and a guide to "non-standard pronunciation of French." All French terms are translated in the text and there is also a bibliography. Strongly recommended as supplemental reading for history and sociology courses. Patricia Moore, Chestnut Hill, MA