Touya de Marenne (Clemson Univ.) presents excerpts from Francophone women authors (translated into English) that address, as the subtitle says, issues of feminism, postcolonialism, and cross-cultural matters. Departing from the more standard approach (which concentrates on defined geographical areas), the author covers all the Francophone regions of the world and offers a comparative perspective. In the introduction, he reflects on the role and validity of feminist and postcolonial theories in examining works of Francophone women writers. Here he warns against the danger of blindly applying Western criticism to Francophone texts, and highlights the need to recognize Francophone women writers' singularity and diversity while finding common ground and establishing dialogues among them. Touya de Marenne groups the selections into five chapters: "Feminisms," "Postcolonialisms," "Cross-Cultures," "Counter-Discourses," and "Beyond Borders." These look at, respectively, women's struggle to resist masculine domination; rebellion against the politics of colonization; hybrid identities and attempts to find their true identity; resistance to oppressive family order and discourse; and exploration of spiritual dimensions and dissolution of boundaries. For each chapter, the author provides, in addition to the selected material, opening remarks, a brief introduction containing essential biographical and contextual information, and a selected bibliography. Summing Up: Recommended Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.
