The Muezzin and the Cuckoo Clock. This book is a surprise. For who knew about the close and loving relationship Alice Schwarzer has had for decades with a family in Algeria, a family that, in its diversity and vibrancy, is a true reflection of this North African country caught between tradition and modernity, between Islamist threats and democratic hopes? Alice Schwarzer first met Djamila, an Algerian journalist, in 1989. Djamila had to fear for her life, like many others, after the impending electoral victory of the Islamists and the civil war they instigated, which resulted in over 200,000 deaths in the 1990s. She emigrated to Germany for several years. However, Djamila has parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, whom Alice Schwarzer got to know and love during New Year celebrations, holiday visits, and weddings in their homeland.