Zohra's Ladder: And Other Stories from Morocco |
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Pamela Windo
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Pages: 256 (Paperback)
ISBN: 1903070406
Pub: Eye Books
Pub date: 2005-04-15
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 154598
Reader Reviews:
Great stories (2/2 people found this helpful)
This book is recommended by Lonely Planet so I bought it before setting off to Morocco last month. While using their recommendations to find places to stay and things to do, I kept reading the stories as I went along and found myself more in tune with the people around me. The stories gave me a sense of reality and honesty, as well as a sense of humour that is vital while travelling.
Excellent for armchair travelers or anyone heading for Morocco (6/6 people found this helpful)
The book's cover image is enticing, and the stories richly depict Morocco in an almost cinematic way, reminiscent of "The Sheltering Sky" and "Hideous Kinky." The author offers 26 vignettes based on seven years of living in Morocco. She kicks off with the eye-opening visit to a public bath, "An Afternoon at the Hammam," and then proceeds to one of my favorites, "Rabiah's House."
The taciturn mother of a new Moroccan friend, Rabiah generously loans the author her house in Agadir, and even accompanies her there.The location allows the author to make a genuine connection with local people, and Rabiah's motherly warmth comes across as she cooks for her and even tucks in her British charge.
My other personal favorite is "The night of the fiftieth birthday," a story about an evening at a Marrakesh restaurant on the author's birthday, where Sammi, a solitary Turkish visitor, is seated next to her table. "How brave to celebrate alone," Sammi says. The romantic story that follows will ring true for many women who have met Mediterranean men.
"Zohra's Ladder" is a strong read for armchair travelers, or those poolside in Morocco, or flying there. The vignettes move quickly (I got lost in the stories during a train ride to Washington) and its insights make a great companion to a guidebook. Kudos also to Windo for the writing itself, bright and bracing like the desert and mountains of this exotic North African land.
Nothing exciting about this book and rather disparaging in places (3/5 people found this helpful)
This book tells the story of a middle aged woman who travels about and lives in Morocco. The book is fairly short and written in a very simple style. Each chapter tells of a different event although none of the events are particularly interesting - they could happen to anyone ! It came across that the author has little true understanding of Moroccan culture and in places I found her to be a little insulting about by the way in which she described the country and its inhabitants. If you are truly interested in Morocco this book is not for you. If you are curious to know about the everday happenings and sexual exploits of a middle aged woman it might be.
Morocco bound! (6/6 people found this helpful)
A delightful, easy-to-read book - very personal stories, sensitively told by a writer who obviously loves Morocco and its people with a passion. Even though I'm a reluctant traveller, reading Zohra's Ladder actually made me want to get up and go!
Similar Products
Moroccan Arabic (Lonely Planet Phrasebook)
The Sheltering Sky (Penguin Red Classics)
Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> Countries & Regions -> Africa -> General AAS
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> Travel Writing
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Travel & Holiday -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Condition (condition-type)