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A review by karaklos
The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy
4.0
The Storyteller of Casablanca is a beautifully written and heartfelt story of family, love, and rebuilding after loss. The refugee crisis in Casablanca during WWII was new to me and I enjoyed learning this piece of history.
The dual timeline is done very well and features Josie, a 13 year old in 1941 and Zoe, a young expat wife in 2010.
I felt very connected to the Josie character who was so likable and felt so authentic. Her story is told through journal entries and I felt every bit of her happiness and pain. I enjoyed her obsession with books and the Jane Eyre references. Her fierce protection of her family, eye rolls at her big sister, and connection to the locals were so enjoyable.
The 2010 portions with Zoe were a little slower and her story less compelling. Zoe’s hand washing and fretting became a bit too repetitive for me. There was regular hinting of something bigger going on in Zoe’s backstory and it became tiresome. I understood at the end why this was done but did not enjoy her journey as much. I was surprised by the twist at the end.
I enjoyed the parallels drawn between the 1941 and current day refugees, the storytelling through quilting, and the descriptions of Casablanca and food. There’s even a recipe for Moroccan ghoriba cookies included. Josephine Baker is weaved into the story and I found myself googling her to learn more. An overall enjoyable read.
The dual timeline is done very well and features Josie, a 13 year old in 1941 and Zoe, a young expat wife in 2010.
I felt very connected to the Josie character who was so likable and felt so authentic. Her story is told through journal entries and I felt every bit of her happiness and pain. I enjoyed her obsession with books and the Jane Eyre references. Her fierce protection of her family, eye rolls at her big sister, and connection to the locals were so enjoyable.
The 2010 portions with Zoe were a little slower and her story less compelling. Zoe’s hand washing and fretting became a bit too repetitive for me. There was regular hinting of something bigger going on in Zoe’s backstory and it became tiresome. I understood at the end why this was done but did not enjoy her journey as much. I was surprised by the twist at the end.
I enjoyed the parallels drawn between the 1941 and current day refugees, the storytelling through quilting, and the descriptions of Casablanca and food. There’s even a recipe for Moroccan ghoriba cookies included. Josephine Baker is weaved into the story and I found myself googling her to learn more. An overall enjoyable read.