My dear Malrich, my beloved brother, if you should read this diary, forgive me. I should have told you, should have shared this terrible burden with you. You were so young, so ill-equipped. But I have made amends, I have written this diary as much for you as for myself. Be strong and steer your course. I love you. Give my love to aunt Sakina and uncle Ali. If you see Ophélie, tell her that I love her and ask her to forgive me.
It is 11 P.M. It is time.
THE END
P.S. I wish this diary to be given to my brother Malek Ulrich Schiller. Thank you for respecting my wishes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Boualem Sansal was born in 1949 in Algeria. Since his debut novel, Le serment des barbares, winner of the Best First Novel Prize in France in 1999, he has been widely considered one of his country’s most important contemporary authors. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Algeria.