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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
This is both a beautifully heartwarming and gut-wrenching story all at the same time. Valpy uses exquisite narrative to describe both setting and place. Each character has to cope with their own devastating loses and they each have to learn how to live despite those loses. Josie loves the escapism that Casablanca provides from the horrors of WWII. Zoe struggles to accept that Casablanca can provide a way forward after a life-altering event. Valpy intertwines the storylines through Josie's hidden diary that Zoe uncovers underneath the floorboards of her home. Readers may find the portions of the book told via the viewpoint of 12 year old Josie a bit unstimulating but one must remember that the character was a child. Portions of Zoe's viewpoint also can be a bit hard to get through but that can be attributed to Valpy's skillful technique in waiting until the last possible moment to unveil Zoe's secret. This book isn't a page turner. It IS one that is to be savored and enjoyed.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have so much to say about this book. It initially reminded me of Victoria Hislop's style of writing, where there is someone in the modern day world reflecting back or investigating the past. There was a difference in that character set in the modern day really had her own story to tell as well as the story of the story she was finding out about in WW2 Casablanca.
The main character Zoe is dealing with moving to an unknown country as an expat and trying to work out her local community as well as encountering some problems in modern day Morocco. I felt I could draw a number of parallels between Zoe and myself when I first moved to Bahrain.
13 year old Josie, whose diary Zoe finds, is a kind and unfailingly optimistic character and I loved reading about her experiences. The only (very slight) issue I had was that Josie's diary entries were written with very advanced language and style that I found slightly hard to believe from a 13 year old French girl who was practicing English.
A few twists and turns at the end with some very emotional final chapters. Will definitely be reading another book by Fiona Valpy.
The main character Zoe is dealing with moving to an unknown country as an expat and trying to work out her local community as well as encountering some problems in modern day Morocco. I felt I could draw a number of parallels between Zoe and myself when I first moved to Bahrain.
13 year old Josie, whose diary Zoe finds, is a kind and unfailingly optimistic character and I loved reading about her experiences. The only (very slight) issue I had was that Josie's diary entries were written with very advanced language and style that I found slightly hard to believe from a 13 year old French girl who was practicing English.
A few twists and turns at the end with some very emotional final chapters. Will definitely be reading another book by Fiona Valpy.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would have happily skipped all of Zoe’s parts until around 85% of the way through. That’s the only part of her section that I really felt was intriguing. Otherwise I felt the comparisons between her empty marriage and having no friends in Casablanca with Josie’s story of being a WWII refugee and all the troubles she went through were rotten. I understand more why she was feeling that way later in the novel when the big plot item was revealed but even then there’s something off putting about a grown woman equalising her experience with that of a young teenager. I had other issues but this was my biggest gripe.
After reading [b:The Lost Apothecary|53288434|The Lost Apothecary|Sarah Penner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593013000l/53288434._SY75_.jpg|74516135], I was unsure if I would enjoy the similar setup of [b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639]: Both storylines included a woman in modern times discovering overlapping experiences with a woman from the past.
When Zoe's husband Tom got a five-year posting to Casablanca in 2010, she found an old journal beneath the floorboards of her daughter's new room that belonged to Josiane Duval. Zoe soon became engrossed in Josie's life. Josie's diary from 1941 reveals that she is French-Jewish. Her family fled from Nazi-occupied France but are in Casablanca awaiting the paperwork to take a ship to Lisbon and onwards to America. Josie was just twelve years old at the time but already had bad dreams, so Josie's father, Guillaume (meaning: helmet, protection), gave her a journal to write down her thoughts.
[a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] wrote this book with alternate timelines, weaving Zoe and Josie's intertwining lives. Josie's journal was revealed bit by bit, but her story ended abruptly, and the journal was left behind for 70 years. "What happened to Josie?" kept me guessing through this enthralling read.
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] transported me through time and space with vivid imagery of Casablanca. Even though I've never visited Morocco, I can see the colors, feel the heat, and hear the sounds. The book makes me want to travel to smell and taste Moroccan food. Historical facts are well researched. The events set in the early 1940s, escaping from Europe, and the migrant crises in north Africa are all based on actual events, and I learned a lot about the role Casablanca played in WWII. Even though the main characters are fictional, [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] incorporated real-life historical figures such as Dorothy Ellis, Stafford Reid, Gustave Reynier, Hélène Benatar, and Josephine Baker.
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] is great storytelling on so many levels. [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] told a story where two characters are storytellers by profession. She also emphasized the role of quilts in the Underground Railroad. She described how each block and quilt tells a story - mirroring the importance of storytelling in the Moroccan culture and how storytelling and quilting bring people together. I especially enjoyed [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg]'s inclusion of stories from [b:Fables|1151331|Fables|Jean de La Fontaine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327265085l/1151331._SY75_.jpg|921500], [b:Tales from the Thousand and One Nights|774368|Tales from the Thousand and One Nights|N.J. Dawood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327971068l/774368._SY75_.jpg|60953613], [b:Tashelhiyt Berber Folktales from Tazerwalt|36082958|Tashelhiyt Berber Folktales from Tazerwalt (South Morocco)|Harry Stroomer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503267632l/36082958._SX50_.jpg|57667350], [b:The Clever Rat and Other African Tales|6202316|The Clever Rat and Other African Tales|Suzi Lewis-Barned|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394356875l/6202316._SX50_.jpg|6382798].
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] is a beautifully written historical fiction. The stories of Zoe and Josie illuminated the resilience of the human spirit. As the storyteller says,
When Zoe's husband Tom got a five-year posting to Casablanca in 2010, she found an old journal beneath the floorboards of her daughter's new room that belonged to Josiane Duval. Zoe soon became engrossed in Josie's life. Josie's diary from 1941 reveals that she is French-Jewish. Her family fled from Nazi-occupied France but are in Casablanca awaiting the paperwork to take a ship to Lisbon and onwards to America. Josie was just twelve years old at the time but already had bad dreams, so Josie's father, Guillaume (meaning: helmet, protection), gave her a journal to write down her thoughts.
[a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] wrote this book with alternate timelines, weaving Zoe and Josie's intertwining lives. Josie's journal was revealed bit by bit, but her story ended abruptly, and the journal was left behind for 70 years. "What happened to Josie?" kept me guessing through this enthralling read.
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] transported me through time and space with vivid imagery of Casablanca. Even though I've never visited Morocco, I can see the colors, feel the heat, and hear the sounds. The book makes me want to travel to smell and taste Moroccan food. Historical facts are well researched. The events set in the early 1940s, escaping from Europe, and the migrant crises in north Africa are all based on actual events, and I learned a lot about the role Casablanca played in WWII. Even though the main characters are fictional, [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] incorporated real-life historical figures such as Dorothy Ellis, Stafford Reid, Gustave Reynier, Hélène Benatar, and Josephine Baker.
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] is great storytelling on so many levels. [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg] told a story where two characters are storytellers by profession. She also emphasized the role of quilts in the Underground Railroad. She described how each block and quilt tells a story - mirroring the importance of storytelling in the Moroccan culture and how storytelling and quilting bring people together. I especially enjoyed [a:Fiona Valpy|5820694|Fiona Valpy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369377281p2/5820694.jpg]'s inclusion of stories from [b:Fables|1151331|Fables|Jean de La Fontaine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327265085l/1151331._SY75_.jpg|921500], [b:Tales from the Thousand and One Nights|774368|Tales from the Thousand and One Nights|N.J. Dawood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327971068l/774368._SY75_.jpg|60953613], [b:Tashelhiyt Berber Folktales from Tazerwalt|36082958|Tashelhiyt Berber Folktales from Tazerwalt (South Morocco)|Harry Stroomer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503267632l/36082958._SX50_.jpg|57667350], [b:The Clever Rat and Other African Tales|6202316|The Clever Rat and Other African Tales|Suzi Lewis-Barned|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394356875l/6202316._SX50_.jpg|6382798].
[b:The Storyteller of Casablanca|57400334|The Storyteller of Casablanca|Fiona Valpy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621718900l/57400334._SY75_.jpg|89051639] is a beautifully written historical fiction. The stories of Zoe and Josie illuminated the resilience of the human spirit. As the storyteller says,
Some things are impossible to move on from – instead, you have to find a way to live with them. The secret is to open your heart, even as it breaks. Because that’s when you discover that you have the capacity to contain it all – the pain and the love, the dark and the light. Just like the ocean. Finding the strength to do so can be quite a challenge, and it takes time. But, in the end, it’s facing up to the truth that will set you free.’
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced