Member Reviews
To be honest i struggled with this book. I cant put my finger on it exactly. It was not the usual light hearted style of book i usually love to read..
When Addy, who is recovering from cancer, finds out that she might have a sibling in Morocco, she travels there to try to discover whether it is true or not.
I found this book very slow and hard to get into, I didn’t warm to any of the characters and the ending felt rushed. This is one of those books you get a few chapters into and hope it gets better only to be disappointed. This definitely wasn’t for me.
A complicated story of daddy going to Morocco for 3 months. Her father recently died and she has found part of a letter and a photo suggestion he had a wife and child in Morocco.
What a wonderful book, beautifully written, felt like I was in Morocco. Would definitely recommend it
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is a not nice feel good book about Addy who overcame cancer and her half sister. Good read, but does not set the world alight
Historical fiction isn’t usually what I pick to read but the wonderful folks at Avon sent this over with a couple of other books and I was very intrigued. I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco and I do so even more after reading this amazing, evocative read.
The plot was fantastic, I love dual timelines and the characters felt so incredibly real to me. This was a wonderful novel and I enjoyed it immensely.
The author does an amazing job of describing life in Morocco on a daily basis. She is so descriptive that I felt like I was there.
I enjoyed the story but I felt the book ended rather abruptly and without a proper ending. A disappointing finish to an ok book.
A story of many layers. Addy, a Canadian woman finds a letter and photos from her father who has recently died. A photo of him and a Moroccan woman and a letter which is only half complete. Cue a desire to head to Morocco and find out the truth. I love novels like this and you just know there is going to be something juicy or complex in the discovery.
It's a journey of many emotions - Addy has cancer and her boyfruend has been unfaithful so this journey to Morocco gives her a challenge and a distraction. She is also a professional photographer and hopes to create a travel book whilst travelling around this fascinating landscape. And what a landscape it is - many cities, mosques, medinas....with all the colour, spice and aromas you might imagine.
There's also a lot of cultural references too when she meets Omar, an Amazigh (Berber) man about 10 years younger than her. The culture of Amazigh is not considered very high up on the social scale in Morocco. People in the mountain villages have to survive as best they can. They work several jobs and are looked down up by others in the country.
Whilst looking for her father, there is a lot of visiting tourist attractions with Omar. He however seems to have a dark side as he often lies to her and I found him a disappointing character when it comes to Addy. As if she didn't already have a man of mystery and secrets in her life I thought! He kept saying that Addy was 'destined for him by Allah' which made me wonder if he was being honest with his feelings early on. This was, however, a good way to learn about the culture and potential pitfalls between a Moroccan and a Canadian. As the author delves a bit into the prejudices and problems that plaque Moroccan society, the story develops and fleshes out the plot.
The story faltered for me at the end as I didn't feel there was a resolution to the story and the questions I had in my mind. Was Omar the man Addy wanted him to be? Not sure. The mystery of the letter and who her father really was however, was a nice if not sad discovery.
Interesting descriptions of Morocco, mountains, villages and people. The heat and the colour really came through.
But Addy and Omar just didn't seem real to me. The family situations that they found themselves in didn't ring true, and seemed to be quite repetitive. The ending was completely pointless and it seemed that the writer was throwing a cliff hanger at us, or maybe had run out of steam.
I will give it three stars mainly because of the exotic and attractive descriptions of Morocco.
Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.
I couldn't really get immersed into thus story. I found it was a little slow paced and some of the characters were a little aggravating. I did however enjoy the exotic location the book was set in.
I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Though I have not been to Morocco, I have traveled to places where language is often a barrier to communication and where tour guides like to flirt with the white women. The way the author depicted this was nearly spot on. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the antics that Addy and Omar got up to or rather the situations that Omar got Addy into. I liked Addy for most of the book but didn't like how she acted around her sister, how her attitude and personality seemed to change. I also struggled a bit with the ease at how Omar seemed to lie about things to Addy. I wanted to rate this book a 4 star, but the ending stopped me. After the whole mystery, I wasn't happy with the cliffhanger and the author left too many loose ends in general.
A lovely story that drew me right in.From London to Morocco an exotic setting.Secrets kept characters that come alive. An intriguing story that kept me turning the pages. #netgalley #avonuk
I picked this up because i am Moroccan and this story both made me feel at home and made me feel homesick.
Very sweet story.