What the Day Owes the Night

By Yasmina Khadra,

Book cover of What the Day Owes the Night

Book description

'Darling, this is Younes. Yesterday he was my nephew, today he is our son'.

Younes' life is changed forever when his poverty-stricken parents surrender him to the care of his more affluent uncle. Re-named Jonas, he grows up in a colourful colonial Algerian town, and forges a unique friendship with…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked What the Day Owes the Night as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is a story of love and friendship set in 1950s Algeria before and during the Algerian War of Independence. The main character, Younes, is an Arabic Algerian but forms friendships with some European boys and falls in love with Emilie a beautiful European girl. Great descriptions of the environment and the characters’ feelings make for an engrossing and moving read as Younes has to make choices about his loyalties towards his friends and family from the two different cultures. 

Want books like What the Day Owes the Night?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like What the Day Owes the Night.

Browse books like What the Day Owes the Night

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Africa, Europe, and Western culture?

Africa 265 books
Europe 954 books
Western Culture 55 books