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Author: Malika Oufkir, Michèle Fitoussi
Genre: Biography, Memoir
Length: 294 pages
Published: 2002
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Born into a proud Berber family in 1953, the eldest daughter of the King of Morocco's closest aide, Malika Oufkir was adopted at the age of five by King Muhammad V to be brought up as the companion of his daughter, Princes Amina. When he died, his son Hassan II became King and took charge of rearing the two girls as well as his own children. Malika spent eleven years living at the court, in the seclusion of the harem, until she left the palace, at the age of 16, as one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom and tasted a couple of years of a heady jet-set lifestyle. On August 16th, 1972, her father, General Muhammad Oufkir, was arrested and executed after an attempt to assassinate the king. Malika, her mother, and four siblings were imprisoned in a penal colony.
My Review:
I give this book a 5 out of 5.
This is the tale of a girl and her family who have everything, and how that was ripped away from them the day their father tried to assassinate the king. Malika tells their story and gives voice to her siblings, mother, and the two women who chose to go with them, in this memoir. For their father's botched attempt at assassination, the Oufkir family was made to "disappear", for twenty years.
At first it was closer to a house arrest, they still had advantages: books, radio, clothing, fresh food. Eventually they got moved to a horrible place where they were separated, lived in horrible conditions, ate rancid meat and rotten vegetables, received no medical attention, and somehow survived for years through their own ingenuity and hope. Malika became a mother figure to her siblings as well as a teacher and confidant.
Then the day came where Malika, one of her sisters, and her two brothers managed to escape. Together, the Oufkir family managed to stick together, stay strong, and escape their bonds. This was definitely a great memoir to read.
At first it was closer to a house arrest, they still had advantages: books, radio, clothing, fresh food. Eventually they got moved to a horrible place where they were separated, lived in horrible conditions, ate rancid meat and rotten vegetables, received no medical attention, and somehow survived for years through their own ingenuity and hope. Malika became a mother figure to her siblings as well as a teacher and confidant.
Then the day came where Malika, one of her sisters, and her two brothers managed to escape. Together, the Oufkir family managed to stick together, stay strong, and escape their bonds. This was definitely a great memoir to read.
You can purchase Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail through Amazon in hard copy format.
Have you read Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
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