Review by Suzieadong -- Keys to Tetouan by Mois Benarroch
[Following is a volunteer review of "Keys to Tetouan" by Mois Benarroch.]
3 out of 4 stars
Review by Suzieadong
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Written in 2016, Keys to Tetouan by Mois Bennarroch is an interesting story told through the eyes of a young man who was exiled, together with his family into Spain many years ago. The Benzimra family is forced to migrate from their then village of Tetouan, a city in northern Morocco, close to Spain. They are spread out in a number of countries around the world like Paris, Venezuela, Madrid, The Amazons, Jerusalem, New York, and Greece. Throughout the book, which has 169 pages, one cannot miss the nostalgic feelings expressed by these people about their home town.
The author uses a lot of narration and written letters that reveal the history of the people from Tetouan. Exiled at a young age, David Sonanes from the Benzimra family travels back to Tetouan as an adult remembering all the stories he heard over the years about oppression by the Arabs. On the contrary he feels he was loved even if he was the ‘other’, because he doesn’t look like a Moroccan. Through Dris, the grocery owner, he reconnects mentally with the relatives he hasn’t seen for twenty years.
Through a letter to his childhood friend whom he met in Jerusalem a month ago, David tells of his memorable visit there. His laziness at writing keeps the letter short but we learn quite a bit about life in Jerusalem.
In a letter written by his late father, we learn that father and son did not always have a smooth relationship. His father felt embarrassed over marrying a gentile in Madrid, also a prostitute. She died five years ago from the time of writing the letter.
After going through three continents and four countries, David still sees himself as an exile. Even though he is a family doctor who sees patients daily, the emptiness of not being home haunts him. We learn that the family of Benzimras are well known doctors in Brazil only that they all live separate lives.
I like the story because it gives a good insight into the history of how the Jews were exiled from their hometown and later settled in Spain. However I found it quite hard to follow because of too many commas. I thought it could be the author’s writing style but the story became too winding at certain times. A case in point is; “Go on and ask me how I found her, well, you know that already, I met her in Madrid, right next to the University Of Madrid, it didn’t happen in an innocent café like we told you, and it wasn’t that romantic, I needed a woman, like a man needs a woman, I was alone, young and horny there in Madrid, away from my mom, away from all that I knew so well, I could buy a woman with the little money I had back then, no, she wasn't the first, and won't be the last as you already know, she was one, just one, and later on, such a special one, doleful, made me feel homesick, just the thought of her gave me an erection, yes, son, as we never were too puritans with language in this house, why start now, after I'm gone, when you read these lines, you may say my attraction was primarily physical, a biological need, that's right, there was a lot of warmth there, and our conversations became more and more special.”
What I liked most about the book was the use of conversations, for example with his mother. Through that we learn of his great liking for their maid Fatima who is an Arab. What I least liked were the many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes which could have been eliminated by thorough editing. Examples of these common errors are; “what does all those names mean you might ask,” “I don't understand what did I do there for twenty years,”
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because despite the editorial gaps, it is a good story that a non-history lover would enjoy. I believe it can appeal more to people who love history and learning different cultures.
******
Keys to Tetouan
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
3 out of 4 stars
Review by Suzieadong
Share This Review
The author uses a lot of narration and written letters that reveal the history of the people from Tetouan. Exiled at a young age, David Sonanes from the Benzimra family travels back to Tetouan as an adult remembering all the stories he heard over the years about oppression by the Arabs. On the contrary he feels he was loved even if he was the ‘other’, because he doesn’t look like a Moroccan. Through Dris, the grocery owner, he reconnects mentally with the relatives he hasn’t seen for twenty years.
Through a letter to his childhood friend whom he met in Jerusalem a month ago, David tells of his memorable visit there. His laziness at writing keeps the letter short but we learn quite a bit about life in Jerusalem.
In a letter written by his late father, we learn that father and son did not always have a smooth relationship. His father felt embarrassed over marrying a gentile in Madrid, also a prostitute. She died five years ago from the time of writing the letter.
After going through three continents and four countries, David still sees himself as an exile. Even though he is a family doctor who sees patients daily, the emptiness of not being home haunts him. We learn that the family of Benzimras are well known doctors in Brazil only that they all live separate lives.
I like the story because it gives a good insight into the history of how the Jews were exiled from their hometown and later settled in Spain. However I found it quite hard to follow because of too many commas. I thought it could be the author’s writing style but the story became too winding at certain times. A case in point is; “Go on and ask me how I found her, well, you know that already, I met her in Madrid, right next to the University Of Madrid, it didn’t happen in an innocent café like we told you, and it wasn’t that romantic, I needed a woman, like a man needs a woman, I was alone, young and horny there in Madrid, away from my mom, away from all that I knew so well, I could buy a woman with the little money I had back then, no, she wasn't the first, and won't be the last as you already know, she was one, just one, and later on, such a special one, doleful, made me feel homesick, just the thought of her gave me an erection, yes, son, as we never were too puritans with language in this house, why start now, after I'm gone, when you read these lines, you may say my attraction was primarily physical, a biological need, that's right, there was a lot of warmth there, and our conversations became more and more special.”
What I liked most about the book was the use of conversations, for example with his mother. Through that we learn of his great liking for their maid Fatima who is an Arab. What I least liked were the many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes which could have been eliminated by thorough editing. Examples of these common errors are; “what does all those names mean you might ask,” “I don't understand what did I do there for twenty years,”
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because despite the editorial gaps, it is a good story that a non-history lover would enjoy. I believe it can appeal more to people who love history and learning different cultures.
******
Keys to Tetouan
READ to Keys to Tetouan in
English getbook.at/keys2tetouan
Castellano getbook.at/llavesdetetuan
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
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