The only studies on North African caves have been published in French and examine primarily physical cave sites. My book discusses the literary cave as a metaphor for national identity and the homeland--patrie-- in Francophone North African postcolonial literature and film focusing on the themes of folklore, war, Berber traditions, femininity, sexuality, and war. It offers new insights into Francophone postcolonial studies and folklore and fills a gap in postcolonial literary and cultural scholarship.