Customer Reviews

Allah's Garden: A True Story of a Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco

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4 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Right from the start, Allah's Garden will pull you in on an unforgettable journey. From the author's introduction to Morocco through the Peace Corps through Azzedine's tortured story and eventual release, Allah's Garden will keep you involved with a stirring story until the end. A must read for anyone interested in this fascinating country, its people, and the tumultuous history they've overcome.

As I read Allah's Garden, I was struck by how balanced the narrative remained. Of course, the story of one of the longest held POWs in history is dramatic, but the telling gives a fairhanded treatment to all. This book exemplifies a blend of clear-eyed fact and fast paced action. I recommend it as a way to gain insight into the motivations and conditions in other parts of the world that often are little understood by Americans. A signicant contribution to the honest telling of a life story, Allah's Garden also sets the model for exploring circumstances that create wars and abuses of power.

Before traveling to Morocco I purchased Allah's Garden. The story pulled me in from the start with Dr. Azeddine's capture. The book reads like a novel and I enjoyed the author's back story about his time and travels in the country. Overall, two-thumbs up and highly recommendable for those interested in Morocco, its culture, history, religion, all wrapped in an intriguing book.

After living and traveling in Morocco, Allah's Garden: A True Story of a Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco is an eye opening page turner that reveals untold events about the strife inside a region that I had never devoted much attention to. After this read, however, I am glued to the happenings in Western Sahara. From the recent hunger strike of Aminattou Haidar and the UN's new hopes for a resolution, I am trying to understand all the viewpoints of the conflict. I once visited Western Sahara several years ago on a two-day bus adventure from Marrakech. The area is expansive and one would think that this is just a wasteland of sand. However, there is more than meets the eye and I think Hollowell's book (which kept me up way past my bed time) gives a good overview to the region that mixes well with the doctor's story of imprisonment and survival. Hollowell's own story in the country helps to keep the narrative moving as he nearly escapes imprisonment himself! Enjoy the read.

Thomas Hollowell's book, "Allah's Garden: A True Story of a Forgotten War in the Sahara Desert of Morocco," is a fascinating narrative of the author's experience of being a young American living in Morocco and befriending a former Moroccan POW who was imprisoned for over 25 years in the Sahara Desert. The book is an exploration of the POW's experience of being captured; but, at the same time, it is a coming of age story about the author, and follows his life trajectory from growing up in idyllic small-town America to moving across the world to Morocco.

Mr. Hollowell gave an excellent presentation of his book to a group of teachers at an outreach seminar on "Health and Conflict in the Middle East" that I organized at Yale University; the teachers were in agreement that Mr. Hollowell's work was an excellent means for engaging junior high and high school students in learning about the Middle East and North Africa. Further, some pointed out that one of the most valuable parts of the story was learning about Mr. Hollowell's own journey to Morocco, and how that impacted his life.

Allah's Garden isn't just an eye-opening read about a little-known war in the Sahara Desert of Morocco, it's also a heart-wrenching yet inspiring tale of survival despite all odds. Author Thomas Hollowell uses a creative literary narrative in order to bring to life the fate of one of the longest-held POWs in history, and he does a wonderful job of recreating historical events with extreme accuracy. The story is also interspersed with Hollowell's own encounter with Moroccan culture and its people during his brief stint as a Peace Corps volunteer and, later, his travels around the country. Moving, relevant and intriguing, Allah's Garden gives the reader a rare insight into the plight of POWs everywhere. Read it!

Allah's Garden opened my eyes to no only the struggle and conflicting emotions experienced by a prison of war, but also put a spot light on a larger human rights conflict I knew nothing about. Hollowell does an excellent job of blending narrative with illuminating facts. The mixing of his own cultural experiences with the often brutal nature of the Western Saharan conflict draws you, making you a part of the drama. If you want to expand your views on culture, religion, and the harsh truth of war, then you should read Allah's Garden.

While participating in Yale University's Council for Middle Eastern Studies summer institute for educators focused on "Health and Conflict in the Middle East," I met Thomas Hollowell when he presented his new book to our class. Hollowell's compelling biography of this Moroccan prisoner-of-war is spellbinding. As the narrator, Hollowell provides the reader with the social, political, and historical context of the story; then, he translates his subject's words and allows him to present his first-hand account of the harrowing tale. This highly inspirational story conveys how a captured Moroccan soldier who served as a medical doctor endured twenty-five years of imprisonment under cruel and inhumane conditions without losing his mind or his deep faith. Death became part of his daily existence due to the harsh desert working conditions and the lack of adequate food and water. His courage and determination to survive and return to his family underscore the strength of the human spirit. I highly recommend this book to all educators, Middle Eastern and North African enthusiasts, human rights advocates, and travel enthusiasts.
Susan Chenard, co-author of Running for All the Right Reasons: A Saudi-born Woman's Pursuit of Democracy

I have lived in Morocco and read a number of books on the history and traditions. Thomas has done a nice job of combining the reality of life in Morocco (the police fallout after kissing a Moroccan in public is an example) with a piece of current history that is missing from the world press. Few too many people know about the issues in the Western Sahara and the reality for families that have been impacted. This books reads well as the author describes his growing understanding of the culture and then his friendship with the life of a man trapped and forgotten by all but a very few. It reminds me of books i read as a kid of people escaping from the Soviet concentration camps and walking their way to freedom. A quick and interesting read. If you like this book about Morocco desert survival try Skeletons on the Zahara

This is a stunning, and, for those of us who refuse to face reality, a necessary book. Allah's Garden proves that the human spirit is more powerful and more enduring than the horrible inflictions mankind places on itself. Even as Alexis Carrel had said, L'homme, cet inconnu, Hollowell shows that our behaviour is infinite in its diversity.

This is a tale of survival of the inhumane conditions created in Algeria by the Polisario who vie for Western Sahara. The methods, which Gandhi employed, stand in stark contrast in the history of national liberation, to the actions of Polisario, which are reminiscent of the depraved antics of Gestapo of the 2nd World War. In Allah's Garden, humans meet true inhumanity. It seems barely balanced by those few, like Azeddine, the hero of the account, who offer their lives to help their fellow men.

Stan I.S. Law authored a number of novels available on the Amazon.com incl.Headless world - The Vatican Incident (sequel to The Avatar Syndrome)