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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Two side by side narratives that meet up. A Jewish girl, refugee, in Casablanca, called Josie, writes a diary that is read by Zoe, an ex pat in 2010.
Josie is precocious (insult-coded) and she gets even worse when she's given a thesaurus. The only interesting thing about Zoe is she has OCD (washes her hands a lot). This is becauseshe had a baby and the baby died from meningitis, and she feels guilty because she thinks it was germs on her own hands that killed her daughter. She hallucinates her daughter throughout the text, which is the big plot twist that I guessed fairly early on.
This is a book that relies heavily on tell, don't show. It's not doing anything original, and the voice given to Josie is incredibly annoying for saying she's only 13. It's also an attempt at a refugee narrative that ties the Jewish plight to modern refugee crises, while providing literally not one tiny systemic criticism. A bunch of multicultural women make a quilt together in a women's refuge centre and it's very like... "and the silence of despair was replaced with the chatter of women laughing and children giggling".
I don't suggest reading this book and I wish I'd tapped out earlier. I just wanted to know if the baby was real or not, guys. I'm giving it a star for the suspense.
Josie is precocious (insult-coded) and she gets even worse when she's given a thesaurus. The only interesting thing about Zoe is she has OCD (washes her hands a lot). This is because
This is a book that relies heavily on tell, don't show. It's not doing anything original, and the voice given to Josie is incredibly annoying for saying she's only 13. It's also an attempt at a refugee narrative that ties the Jewish plight to modern refugee crises, while providing literally not one tiny systemic criticism. A bunch of multicultural women make a quilt together in a women's refuge centre and it's very like... "and the silence of despair was replaced with the chatter of women laughing and children giggling".
I don't suggest reading this book and I wish I'd tapped out earlier. I just wanted to know if the baby was real or not, guys. I'm giving it a star for the suspense.
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
The plot twist in both Zoe and Josie's stories were very well done however I found the first half of the book moved very slowly. Still a good read though.
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:
No
Really enjoyed this one! Zoe’s storyline was a little slow. Heartbreaking and beautiful.
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
Amazing book! It was a little annoying and confusing throughout, and I really wondered if I was missing something. But it was tied together in the end. Lots of good historical information to be found about WWII in North Africa as well as the Underground Railroad here in America! I'm not usually a fan of two timeline books, but this worked really well.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
There is is plenty about The Storyteller of Casablanca to like: it is well researched historical fiction that gives you a feel for Casablanca during WWII, the parallel situations of refugees from Hitler and from various regions of Africa humanizes the latter in a real way, the two protagonists in the dual timelines (Josie and Zoe) are reasonably attractive, the writing is fluid, and the editing solid.
So why the average rating? There is not a lot about this book that goes beyond the surface. The plot and structure is so common that you know what is coming 50 pages in advance. The evil characters are treated as cartoons, with no development at all. Indeed the whole backdrop of a Morocco governed by Vichy France is barely explored. Huge issues, like why it takes the Duval family so long to get transit papers is just left out there without explanation. And the motives of Guillaume, the father of Josie, who turns into a resistance spy are just assumed. Zoe's situation, similarly, is treated breezily. Indeed there is little exploration of modern Morocco and its unique situation beyond being a way station for refugees.
This was a pleasant read and certainly not objectionable. There is just not a lot that lifts it up beyond average.
So why the average rating? There is not a lot about this book that goes beyond the surface. The plot and structure is so common that you know what is coming 50 pages in advance. The evil characters are treated as cartoons, with no development at all. Indeed the whole backdrop of a Morocco governed by Vichy France is barely explored. Huge issues, like why it takes the Duval family so long to get transit papers is just left out there without explanation. And the motives of Guillaume, the father of Josie, who turns into a resistance spy are just assumed. Zoe's situation, similarly, is treated breezily. Indeed there is little exploration of modern Morocco and its unique situation beyond being a way station for refugees.
This was a pleasant read and certainly not objectionable. There is just not a lot that lifts it up beyond average.
I enjoyed this book, particularly the audiobook and thought it evoked well how expats have to set up life in a new home and how some expats insulate themselves in Western style malls, but others do throw themselves into learning more about the history, culture and lifestyles of those around them.
This was an interesting dual narrative retelling - covering an area of WWII I know little about, namely the war in Morocco.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Casablanca and found them to be very realistic and called back memories of my own trip to Casablanca.
It also wove an interesting narrative around grief and the use of quilting in different ways to tell stories and illicit hope.
“‘She sees that your heart is filled with grief. You need to go to the ocean. Write the names of the things you’ve lost on stones you will find there and then cast them away into the waters. The ocean is big enough to take your grief and keep it safe for you, freeing up space in your heart for other things. The dreamseller says this is an important lesson for you to learn now and you must remember it. It will help you later in life.’
This was an interesting dual narrative retelling - covering an area of WWII I know little about, namely the war in Morocco.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Casablanca and found them to be very realistic and called back memories of my own trip to Casablanca.
It also wove an interesting narrative around grief and the use of quilting in different ways to tell stories and illicit hope.
“‘She sees that your heart is filled with grief. You need to go to the ocean. Write the names of the things you’ve lost on stones you will find there and then cast them away into the waters. The ocean is big enough to take your grief and keep it safe for you, freeing up space in your heart for other things. The dreamseller says this is an important lesson for you to learn now and you must remember it. It will help you later in life.’