A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco

This book, "A House in Fez" by Suzanna Clarke, chronicles the adventures of an Australian couple who, after visiting the ancient city of Fez in Morocco, decide to purchase a house there. Suzanna and her husband Sandy fall in love with this ancient Medina, or walled city. Fez is located just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Europe in the Northwestern corner of Africa, but is separated by the rest of Africa by the great Sahara desert. The culture has been influenced over time by the mix of African, Berber, Arab, French and Spanish peoples who have lived there. Suzanna describes in wonderful detail this beautiful city that is filled with very old architecture, from the green tiled minarets, to the stone streets and walled passageways, gateways, arches and courtyards of the largest car-free urban area in the world.

Suzanna writes, "Morocco has the mystique of a land from the Old Testament yet appears to be coping comfortably with modernization. Internet cafes rub shoulders with artisans' workshops; peasants on donkeys trot beneath billboards advertising the latest mobile phones...You can eat at a street stall, in a Parisian-style cafe, or next to a tinkling fountain in an ornate courtyard. You can find yourself in the midst of a crazy, honking traffic jam, or dodging donkeys in cobbled alleyways, or riding a camel in the solitude of the Sahara."

Suzannna allows her readers to tag along as she and her husband spend months restoring an aging house in the old part of the city. From their frustrations at dealing with the bureaucracy of obtaining permits, the difficulty in hiring reliable workmen to help with the restoration process, language barriers and cultural faux pas, to the feeling of living in the culture while being apart from it, Suzanna shares her interesting experiences with us and brings the rich culture of Morocco alive. Through the process of carefully restoring this house in keeping with the style and setting in which it is placed, Suzanna and Sandy develop a great affection for the people, which make the city of Fez such an interesting place. I finished this book with a new appreciation for a culture I barely knew existed, half a world away. I am again amazed at the astonishing variety and complexities of the human race, which to me, once again points to an infinitely creative Creator God. This book was educational, entertaining and it was fun to share in the very interesting experiences of this unconventional couple. If you can't travel to Morocco anytime soon to see it for yourself, I'd recommend this book as a substitute!

The author has a blog with pictures and more information on this interesting city. Check it out at riadzany.blogspot.com.