SOURCE: Mortimer, Mildred. Review of Ombre sultane, by Assia Djebar. World Literature Today 63, no. 1 (winter 1989): 156.

In the following review, Mortimer praises Djebar's juxtaposition of traditional and modern women in Ombre sultane.

Since her debut in 1957 the novelist Assia Djebar has focused on Algeria's independence struggle and has simultaneously become the scribe for Algerian women silenced by colonialism and Islam. Her latest work represents her strongest attack yet against patriarchy.

In Ombre sultane Djebar juxtaposes the lives of two women, the modern Isma and the traditional Hajila, who share a common experience: both have been married (at different times) to the same man. Isma, who chose Hajila as the second wife for her ex-husband, observes and describes the traditional woman's transformation. Curiosity motivates Hajila to explore her city, discard her veil, and reject passivity. When she defies her husband and claims the right to circulate freely in public spaces...