The Algerian Stories

The author grew up in Algeria, in a valley of lush gardens, fruit trees, grape vines and wheat fields. The first story in The Algerian Stories – The Ghost in the Well – like the other three stories, is a translation of an event from her childhood as recounted in her French memoirs – ‘Ourida de là-bas.’
The events of the next story, The Last Caravan, occured when she was six or seven years old. The third, The Ancient Enemy, when she was a twelve year old student at a convent school, tells of a sand storm and a swarm of locusts that came down on the valley. The final story, explained by its title, recounts a never-to-be forgotten day of wonder.
These stories were first published by the "School Journal" in New Zealand – one of the many places the author has lived in the years since she left Algeria. The Last Caravan was also bought and published by Cricket Magazine, Illinois, USA where it was voted best story of the year by the young readers. It was subsequently bought and published by Prentice Hall Gin in Richmond, Canada for a Christmas Special edition.
Christiane Moodie was born in Blida in North Africa. When Algeria became independent, she moved to Australia with her family and lived there for over twenty years. Although Christiane has lived and worked in many countries, she currently lives in a small village in Brittany, France. She has been writing stories her whole life, and still writes every single day.