Backstory: Assia Djebar, the unlikeliest French 'immortal'

Heads turned when Assia Djebar – a prominent voice of Arab women – joined the likes of Voltaire and Victor Hugo in the elite Académie Française.

By Susan Sachs | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

PARIS – First comes the coffee, poured dark and strong into tiny cups. Algerian flat bread, slightly sweet yet slightly tangy and still warm from the bakery around the corner, is presented on plates.

Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0907/p20s01-bogn.html