In this poignant and personal work, Benjamin Stora traces the history of Algeria, blending grand history with personal memories: stories of his childhood in Constantine, his family's exile in 1962, and his long quest for a shared truth about colonization and the war of independence. Both witness and historian, he sheds light on the conflicts of memory-Pieds-Noirs, Harkis, immigrants, Algerian Jews-and shows how these wounds still shape Algerian and French societies. The tone alternates between autobiographical testimony, rigorous historical investigation, and a plea for reconciliation through knowledge. Written by an "actor-researcher," it is aimed at both the general public and specialists: an invitation to understand Algeria through a life story that speaks to both sides of the Mediterranean. By addressing hybrid identities, paths to assimilation, and quests for self, his narrative takes on a dimension that is both intimate and universal. Claude Colombini Frémeaux
