The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy
Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (Sept. 21 2021)
Paperback : 316 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1542032100
While this is not my favourite WWII read, I really enjoyed THE STORYTELLER OF CASABLANCA by Fiona Valpy. This is my first read from this author – and I had heard great things about her previous books. I love historical books that are told in dual timelines – in this case, the book is told in (somewhat) present day and 1941. As you read through the dual timelines, the reader is propelled through the story by knowing that at some point the storylines are going to connect, but not knowing how or when they will.
I found the story a bit slow to pick up, which created a bit of a struggle for me to get into the book, as I am a reader that likes to be pulled in right away. However, once I was pulled into the book, I really did enjoy the story. I also really enjoyed the unique perspective of WWII outside of Western Europe – this is something that will definitely help the book stand out in my mind.
While I did feel that there were a few “holes” in the story, I overall really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to people looking for WWII historical fiction books with a perspective outside of Western Europe.
Rating: 7.5/10
* Thank you to Thomas Allen & Sons for the gifted copy *
* * *
Synopsis: Morocco, 1941. With France having fallen to Nazi occupation, twelve-year-old Josie has fled with her family to Casablanca, where they await safe passage to America. Life here is as intense as the sun, every sight, smell and sound overwhelming to the senses in a city filled with extraordinary characters. It’s a world away from the trouble back home―and Josie loves it.
Seventy years later, another new arrival in the intoxicating port city, Zoe, is struggling―with her marriage, her baby daughter and her new life as an expat in an unfamiliar place. But when she discovers a small wooden box and a diary from the 1940s beneath the floorboards of her daughter’s bedroom, Zoe enters the inner world of young Josie, who once looked out on the same view of the Atlantic Ocean, but who knew a very different Casablanca.
It’s not long before Zoe begins to see her adopted city through Josie’s eyes. But can a new perspective help her turn tragedy into hope, and find the comfort she needs to heal her broken heart?
Sleep Less, Read More 