by Paul Bowles
First published 2006
Stenham, an American writer, finds himself in Fez during Morocco's 1954 nationalist uprising against French colonial rule. The city seethes with political tension as demonstrations sweep through the ancient medina. Stenham believes he understands Moroccan culture, but the revolution exposes how little he truly grasps about the society around him. He encounters Moroccans from different backgrounds who view both him and the unfolding events through entirely different lenses. Each interaction reveals new layers of misunderstanding between cultures. The uprising forces everyone to choose sides, but Stenham discovers that his position as an outsider makes every choice fraught with consequences he cannot fully comprehend. The novel examines what happens when someone realizes the culture they thought they knew remains fundamentally alien to them.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-literature, political-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, outsider-perspective
Setting: Fez, Morocco
Period: 1954
432 pages · Paperback · Ecco