Morocco is notable for its stable and durable monarchy, its close ties with the West, its vibrant cultural life and its centrality to regional politics. Many books about Morocco aren't translated into English so some of the books on history and current affairs can appear a little dated. To gain a richer understanding of this fascinating country, exploring its history and culture through literature is invaluable.
Historical Overviews
Susan Gilson Miller's book offers a richly documented survey of modern Moroccan history. Arguing that pragmatism rather than ideology has shaped the monarchy's response to crisis, the book begins with the French invasion of Algeria in 1830 and Morocco's abortive efforts at reform, the duel with colonial powers and the loss of independence in 1912, the burdens and benefits of France's forty-four year dominion and the stunning success of the nationalist movement leading to independence in 1956. In the post-independence era, the book traces the monarchy's gradual monopolization of power and the resulting political paralysis, with a postscript bringing events up to 2012. Miller demonstrates a deft historical hand, breaking down a complex and multi-faceted history into nine chapters that cover 180 years of Moroccan history. Miller makes an important contribution to the field of North Africa studies. She has written an engaging narrative that will interest both professors and undergraduates.
Fiction and Personal Narratives
The Black Crescent by British novelist Jane Johnson is a lovely work of historical fiction that introduces you to the world of 1950s Morocco, at the time of the country's struggle for independence from France. The main character, Hamou Badi, is from a mountain village but ends up becoming a policeman and working in Casablanca. The author, Jane Johnson, has set a number of her novels in Morocco where she met her husband, Abdel Bakrim, and now lives for half the year.
The Country of Others is the first book in Moroccan-French author Leïla Slimani's trilogy of novels based partly on her own family's story, now translated into English. It opens in 1945 as a French woman living in Alsace falls in love with a Moroccan serving in the French army. The couple move to Morocco, where they make their lives on a farm.
“The Caliph’s House is wonderful because its author, Tahir Shah, is just this guy you want to be friends with, to hang out with and follow around. The book’s about this house he bought in Morocco. He’d decided to move with his family from England, on a whim almost, in an effort to lead a more interesting life, and they buy this massive palace of a house. But it’s in ruins and the story’s just his efforts to get it renovated, painted and livable: a massive undertaking.
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Darker Perspectives
This Blinding Absence of Light by Moroccan novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun is based on a true story. It's about a prisoner who ends up in Tazmamart, a secret prison built in the Atlas Mountains after a failed coup against the then king, Hassan II, in 1972.
Culinary Journeys
“The great thing about Moroccan food is that you can go off and do your own thing once you’ve learned a bit about it. You can make up your own versions because the spices and colours are so enchanting….With Moroccan food, I always go back to Robert Carrier. There’s a very beautiful illustrated edition of the book. You turn over a couple of pages and you can’t wait to start cooking.
Feminist Voices
Fatima Mernissi is a Moroccan feminist and produced one of the first books on feminism within an Arab Middle East and in a Muslim context. She also wrote a pioneering book-length text of Islamic feminism. In Islam and Democracy Mernissi is taking up Islamic arguments for claiming full citizenship, democracy, equality and justice.
Travel and Exploration
The Scottish explorer and TV presenter Alice Morrison travels across Morocco, from the Sahara Desert to the Atlas Mountains, in the company of three Amazigh (once known as Berber) men and their camels. During her journeys, she encounters a lost city and dinosaur footprints, and does her best to avoid landmines, quicksand and poisonous snakes.
How did Ibn Battuta Explore the World?
“I couldn’t not include him. His editor Ibn Juzayy says towards the end of the book that Ibn Battutah is “the traveller of the Arabs and if anyone says he is a traveller of this ummah (Islamic community), he would not be wrong”. That actually stands today. In a sense he hasn’t been bettered since that time (the 14th century). The complete diversity of the Muslim world was put on the axis of a book by Ibn Battutah. Nobody afterwards could really do better.
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Mackintosh-Smith follows Ibn Battutah’s journey, retracing his steps from Morocco to Egypt, Syria to Oman, and Anatolia to Constantinople. He sails in a dhow across the Arabian Sea and travels to Delhi, then on to the Maldives and the fabled Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka. He describes his own experiences beautifully but also provides us with extracts from Ibn Battutah. The result: you see India from the 14th-century perspective of Ibn Battutah’s adventures overlaid with an account of an emerging 21st-century superpower.
Challenging Perceptions
Fisher’s book is a wonderful corrective to the prejudice we have about the Barbary Coast pirates. It almost goes too far. It suggests that the West has approached the idea of North African pirates with a prejudiced eye, because they are Islamic. Fisher says: why don’t we look at how the West related to North Africa and particularly the four Barbary states.
Books for Travel Preparation
Read on for GEEO’s suggestions on books to read before you travel to Morocco. Our book club is a way for teachers and other participants to learn through literature about the places they will be traveling. Reading fiction or nonfiction based on a country gives travelers the context needed to have deeper, richer experiences abroad.
Here's a summary table of the books mentioned, categorized for easier reference:
| Category | Book Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Overview | Modern Morocco: The View from the Djemaa el-Fna | Susan Gilson Miller |
| Historical Fiction | The Black Crescent | Jane Johnson |
| Personal Narrative | The Caliph's House | Tahir Shah |
| Fiction | The Country of Others | Leïla Slimani |
| Darker Perspectives | This Blinding Absence of Light | Tahar Ben Jelloun |
| Travel/Exploration | N/A | Alice Morrison |
| Travel/Exploration | N/A | Ibn Battutah, Mackintosh-Smith |
| Feminist Studies | Islam and Democracy | Fatima Mernissi |
| Culinary | N/A | Robert Carrier |
| Historical Analysis | N/A | Fisher |
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