Suleika Jaouad

Suleika Jaouad is the author and central character of Between Two Kingdoms. Indeed, because the text is Suleika's memoir, the story belongs to her and is written in her words and voice.

Suleika grows up with her parents Anne and Hédi, and her younger brother Adam. Her mother is from Geneva and her father is from Tunisia. Because her identity straddles multiple cultures, and because she and her family move often, Suleika grows accustomed to mobility and transience. Therefore, at the end of her college career, Suleika is eager to venture off again, this time entirely on her own. She moves to New York City, finds an internship, and makes friends. This lifestyle soon proves unsustainable. Not only is Suleika constantly drinking and taking drugs, she is suffering from profound itchiness and fatigue. Desperate to start over once more, she secures a job in Paris...