Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a combination travelogue and cultural memoir of true stories of an American couple who lived in Morocco for four years. They traveled extensively throughout the country while working as buyers for a company that was exporting Berber carpets, jewelry, and clothing. Their travels took them on multiple tours of Morocco's imperial cities - Marrakesh, Fez, Rabat and Meknes. They roamed the mountain villages, countryside, and desert oases looking for antique kilims. They spent countless hours exploring the museums, sights, souks, and bazaars, getting to know the shop owners, craftsmen, weavers, and street food vendors.
Much of the book focuses on traditional Moroccan culture and mysticism which is revealed by their Moroccan business partner Naima as she takes them to family weddings, social gatherings, and visits to a traditional Moroccan psychic known as a shawafa. The shawafa is possessed by a djinn spirit who conveys unexplainable knowledge about the lives of the two Americans in stunning detail, and then offers sage advice. Through their firsthand experiences the two Americans learn that Moroccans hold a deeply mystical perception of reality. Consequently, Moroccans do not perceive time and space as we do in the West. For Moroccans time is a circle rather than a line, and that which happened fifty years ago is as relevant as that which happened yesterday. We have much to learn from the Moroccan Mystique.
The book is filled with colorful tales, photos and paintings that give the reader a deeper understanding of the enormous contribution Morocco has made in architecture, design, weaving, music, dance, cuisine, and mysticism.
