This is how I reviewed this book in The Washington Post:From The Washington Post’s Book World It’s been 20 years since Peter Mayle wrote his bestseller A Year in Provence, and there’s no sign yet of the “Year In…” franchise flagging. After all, what two-week vacationer could fail to dream of a ye...
A page turner.The gothic cast of characters set this reader's hair alight.The courage displayed on the journey can only be admired, the rotting boat, the horrendous food stuffs, the climate.This a work of anthropology and at the heart of it a frightening account of how vital knowledge to be found...
Tahir Shah�s The Caliph�s House, describing his first year in Casablanca, was hailed by critics and compared to such travel classics as A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun. Now Shah takes us deeper into the heart of this exotic and magical land to uncover mysteries that have been hidd...
Saadi of Shiraz SEÑOR BENITO RAISED A FORK OF SAUTÉED SWORDFISH TO HIS lips and rolled his eyes with shame. We were seated on an expansive terrace overlooking the strait, taking lunch at a restaurant known for its fish. The other tables were empty, almost as if the old collector had booked the ...
I was told stories about genies and witches and about great birds that could carry away elephants on their wings… and stories about distant kingdoms and magical lands ruled by warrior-kings. I was told stories of good and bad… and stories of hope and others of despair. I was even told stories abo...
It was unpleasant, but I was very pleased that the state of constipation had been reversed. Richard was on the roof lying out under the stars. He had taken an extra-strong dose of sanango, his favourite nerve-agent. ‘You oughta try it,’ he said cheerfully, next morning. ‘I...
AUTUMN APPROACHED. THE CRUEL summer heat softened, and the garden erupted into a blaze of color—red hibiscus and subtle pink mimosas, yellow jasmine, and delicate passion flowers, all set against a backdrop of blinding crimson bougainvillea. Dar Khalifa was an oasis, a sanctuary encircled by real...