Algeria

In his first novel, The Meursault Investigation, Kamel Daoud retells The Stranger from an Arab perspective. John Powers says Daoud's retelling will forever change the way you read the Camus classic.

Xavier Beauivois' Of Gods and Men is inspired by the true story of seven French monks working in Algeria, who were kidnapped in 1996 during the Algerian Civil War and later executed. Film critic David Edelstein says the stark drama is both powerful and perceptive.

You may know him from The Matrix, but the French actor portrays a Trappist monk in his latest film — inspired by the true story of seven monks who were kidnapped during the Algerian Civil War.

World music critic Milo Miles remembers two musicians who were recently assassinated: Rachid Baba Ahmed, a producer and musician of Algerian Rai Music, and Tejano music's Selena.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Alberto Manguel's novel, "News From a Foreign Country Came," about families and terrorism in cities around the world.

Two of the band's members, Sterfane Mellino and Mathieu Canavese join Fresh Air to talk about the history of their group, and their new album, Mlah. The liner notes are entirely in French -- the band says the decision helps preserve their national identity abroad.

World music critic Milo Miles introduces us to the music of Cheb Khaled. Khaled is a leading performer of Raï, a type of music popular in Algeria.