Monday, April 2, 2018

Review by juliusotinyo -- Gates to Tangier

Review by juliusotinyo -- Gates to Tangier

Post Number:#1 by juliusotinyo » 20 Jun 2017, 13:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch.]

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3 out of 4 stars

Review by juliusotinyo

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Gates to tangier, by Mois Benarroch.

The story revolves around siblings of a Sephardic Jewish family initially based in Morocco but due to immigration different family members are now living in Paris, Madrid, New York and Jerusalem. From the onset the book presents you with their challenges beginning with the loss of their father and the shock of the impending quest he leaves on his will, a quest to find their secret half brother in Morocco. As they begin the quest their individual personal conflicts play out mainly on family life, marriage, immigration and integration in their settled lands. The story is about family ties, dealing with loss, Zionism and immigration from a Sephardic Jewish point.

After the death of the Benzimra's family patriarch, four siblings; Isaque, Messod, Silvia and Alberto reluctantly depart for Tétouan Morocco to find their secret half brother Yosef. Who is the illegitimate child their father had with a former maid in Morocco, and had been kept a secret till his death. They are obligated to do so as a prerequisite to unlock their inheritance before 5 years of their father's death. Messod, Sylvia and Alberto meet up with their brother Isaque at Barajas airport, where ironically each sibling in their own way see or picture their dead brother Israel wandering about in the airport. I would say in their unity to find a secret brother they remember a brother they truly lost. The journey will take them through Malaga all the way to their destination in Tétouan and finally to Chauoen Morocco. What they find and its underlying mystery is a nice blend of thrilling suspense and scandal, fit for a good read.

The Author's use of monologue from each of the main characters captured their thoughts and feelings nicely giving them a personal feel; making you part of the story, something that I enjoyed a lot. However, it was hard at times to follow especially when the author used unfamiliar Hebrew/Jewish terms which forced me to look them up before continuing. The author also paid too much attention to the personal conflicts of the 4 siblings and less on the actual half brother, hopefully meant for a sequel I hope. Though I still welcome the twist in the end and overall liked the story.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Jewish history and not for those who don't. Also the Sephardic-Ashkenazi rift plays out a lot and especially through Alberto Benzimra. Though not entirely negative, it is being described through a Sephardic Jew and anyone with sensibilities on the subject may take offence.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars!

There were several grammar errors, specifically an excessive use of hyphenated words like sic-k, of-ten where inappropriate and I'd also recommend use of a glossary to explain unfamiliar terms, is why I'd not give it a 4. I'd not rate it a 2 because I enjoyed the story and really connected with the characters enough to look for the sequel.

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Gates to Tangier 


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