The End of the Desert

Saïd Khatibi

The End of the Desert — One autumn day in 1988, Zakia Zaghouani found a body in the outskirts of the desert, beginning the search for the story of her death. As they investigate those involved in the singer's murder, the residents discover that their involvement extends to many things beyond the crime. The Algerian War of Liberation casts its shadow over the distant Algerian city, preserving the martyrs who ultimately represent the image of independence and liberation, while revealing the dark side of those who remained. Without revealing its details, the features of multiple perpetrators emerge in a society fraught with violence: prison regulars, sons of the affluent bourgeoisie, the most prominent types of murder...youth and adults. The novel's events unfold in a desert town in Algeria in 1988. As in Khatibi's previous novels, this one is characterized by its exceptionally tight plot, revolving around the murder of a trivial hotel singer. Complex investigations begin, and investigators are unable to reach a conclusive result easily, as suspects are numerous. Through the voices of the novel's narrators, the protagonists of the story, the author delves into the history of colonialism and the history of the Algerian War of Independence and its successors, by narrating the circumstances of the case which takes place over one month, despite its complexities. The characters accused of the singer's murder are not only accused of a criminal offense, but it also becomes clear that they are involved in the great legacy of the war, each from a different perspective.