Ourika is a short 1823 novel written by Claire, Duchesse de Duras, about a young Senegalese girl rescued from slavery and raised by a French noblewoman in Paris. It is taught in a wide variety
of courses, including advanced literature courses, courses concerning the relationship between France and its colonies, and gender and cultural studies courses. In this volume, Birkett (French
studies, Smith College) and Rivers (French, Mount Holyoke College) discuss perspectives and strategies for pedagogically engaging Ourika. They present 23 articles that explore the cultural,
social, literary, and historical contexts of the novel while simultaneously demonstrating particular pedagogical approaches to it across the disciplinary spectrum. Annotation 穢2009 Book News,
Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
