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

Suzanna Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 11, 2008

The Medina -- the Old City -- of Fez is the best-preserved, medieval walled city in the world. Inside this vibrant Moroccan community, internet cafes and mobile phones coexist with a maze of donkey-trod alleyways, thousand-year-old sewer systems, and Arab-style houses, gorgeous with intricate, if often shabby, mosaic work.

While vacationing in Morocco, Suzanna Clarke and her husband, Sandy, are inspired to buy a dilapidated, centuries-old riad in Fez with the aim of restoring it to its original splendor, using only traditional craftsmen and handmade materials. So begins a remarkable adventure that is bewildering, at times hilarious, and ultimately immensely rewarding.

A House in Fez chronicles their meticulous restoration, but it is also a journey into Moroccan customs and lore and a window into the lives of its people as friendships blossom. When the riad is finally returned to its former glory, Suzanna finds she has not just restored an old house, but also her soul.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Beware of falling in love while on vacation. You might end up buying a riad. Less of a tourist center than Marrakesh or Tangier, Fez is the largest car-free urban area and the best-preserved medieval walled city in the world. While on vacation, Australian photojournalist Clarke and her husband were bewitched by the exotic city, deciding to return and begin a search for a riad (a large home with an inner courtyard) to renovate. This enjoyable narrative chronicles the couple's navigation through a puzzling new world. Readers get to tag along while Clarke deals with Kafkaesque bureaucracy, maneuvers delicately through relationships with neighbors, contractors and construction workers, and goes back to school to improve her French. She weaves this personal narrative together with snippets of the fascinating history and culture of her adopted country. This is an all too brief but enjoyable excursion into one woman's experience with a place she clearly loves. Readers will surely fall under its spell as well.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Born in New Zealand, Suzanna Clarke grew up in several parts of Australia. In her twenties she lived in a Welsh commune, an Amsterdam squat and a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. She has worked as a photojournalist for more than two decades and is the arts director of The Daily Mail in Brisbane. Her husband, Sandy, is a radio broadcaster who now spends most of his time in Fez. Their blog is riadzany.blogspot.com.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Original edition (November 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416578935
• ISBN-13: 978-1416578932
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > History > Africa > Morocco
  • #16 in Books > Travel > Africa > Morocco
  • #40 in Books > Professional & Technical > Architecture > Historic Preservation

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best recent books about morocco June 29, 2009

By jibli

Format:Paperback

i was very pleased with this book.
Suzanna Clarke and her husband bought a house in the medina of Fez and this is the story of the renovation project and those involved- architects, workmen, bureaucrats and neighbors.
she gives us her experiences with a freshness that will charm even those who know the country well. although she had little prior knowledge of morocco, there are only afew errors (some details about Islam-ramadan, cats).
the book that "A House In Fez" most resembles is Peter Mayne's "A Year in Marrakesh" (also titled "The Alleys of Marrakesh") A Year in Marrakesh, especially for its light tone (no long lectures on history, politics or architecture here).
Peter Mayne was injured in an attack on a cafe in the events leading up to Morocco's independence (1956) and he only wrote the one book (in print!) about this country. We can only hope that the author and her husband, Sandy McCutcheon, also a writer, will enjoy many years of residence and give us updates, not only in their popular blog, but also with future books.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly disappointing, The Caliph's House is better December 16, 2010

By shiite7

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm going to be in Morocco soon, serving in the Peace Corps, and read The Caliph's House, by Tahir Shan, before this (which I would rate as maybe 4 or 4.5 stars) - this I would give a 3.5/5.

There were paragraphs/sections I particularly enjoyed - whether because of marked wit or charm, or interesting historical insights of which I was not aware.

The book started off well, with quotes like, "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", "it was a country where we felt more alive than anywhere else, our every sense engaged", "you looked the farmer or the stallholder in the eye as you quibbled in a good-natured way about the quality and price."

I was hoping of more of the same.

Unfortunately, after the first two chapters or so, the book veered off (and decidedly so) into a tome on building materials and house/kitchen renovation...at least 60% (being conservative) of the book is very detailed tidbits about building supplies and how the kitchen tiles were put in, just like so...for the first half of the book, this level of detail was something I forgave, in the hope that something "really good" was coming as a replacement for this "filler". But alas, most of the book is indeed minute detail about project work.

If you're interested in renovating a run-down "mansion" in Morocco, this may be of particular interest to you...but first read The Caliph's House, which seemed to have more characters, more anecdotes, more lasting humor. If you're interested in learning more about Moroccan culture, this offers mere glimpses.... If you want a broader picture, I highly recommend CultureShock Morocco, by Orin Hargraves. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding recap of how "The Morocco Way" works, and how you must adapt. April 15, 2009

By C. Scharven

Format:Paperback

I have lived in and visited the Muslim world for almost 20 years now and enjoyed every bit of this book. It really captured how wonderful the people can be, and yet how frustrating things can also be...for those who are still on "Western" time. From being concerned about overpaying, to trusting your neighbors, to the "fun" of trying to work with "City Hall"...the book is spot on. But not to dwell on the difficult times, but the author also dives into the warmth of the local people, which is the best part of the book to me.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Restoration of Morocco Heritage November 2, 2009

By Jeannie Mancini VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Suzanna Clarke's memoir entitled A House in Fez: Building A Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco, is not just the story of her restoring a three hundred year old house. I found her tale to be a delightful and insightful book about everything and everyone that is Morocco. The book is a very engaging introductory to Morocco's culture, complete with a magical blend of tidbits on the people, the place, and of times past, present and future. You will learn about the loveable people who are humorous, giving, and helpful, yet often frustrating when assisting Suzanna with her plan. The pace of Morocco as in most of the Middle East, is a tad slower than of the western world, every little project and chore can take a very long time to accomplish all at the will of Allah.

Suzanna and her husband Sandy, native New Zealander's, had traveled to Morocco a few times for vacation. They fell in love with this quaint and historic corner of the world and decided they wanted to buy a second home there. Traveling back and forth between countries, they soon found a gorgeous, yet run down, three century old riad, (a traditional Morocco house with central fountain enclosed courtyard) that they just had to have, even though they realized this would be the biggest challenge of their lives. Restoring an ancient house of this historic caliber is not cheap. They knew it would drain their budgets, and that the task would take a lot of their time. They are both busy journalists and this monumental project would take creative juggling of their careers....

From the time of purchase, Suzanna tells us her story of how difficult it was to find and deal with merchants and building contractors, how her blood pressure sky-rocketed with every time she needed to obtain permits from insane city officials, endless red-tape, how her patience was challenged every day with upsets, disappointments, lazy and carefree employees, and expensive fixes. Not to mention the drain on her marriage, as her and Sandy often had to alternate who would remain in Morocco as the other would fly home to keep the coffers full enough to pay for the new House in Fez.

Although at times I felt there was just a little too much detailed description of the day-to-day construction work, it was worth reading to learn of the history of Moroccan architecture, and of the city of Fez itself. Interspersed with the "house story" are many wonderful surprises of Suzanna's exploration of the city as she bit-by-bit learned of it's heritage, culture and residents. While turning the pages you hear their music, witness a celebration where Syrian whirling dirvishes swirl into dizzying white clouds, smell the aromatic spices in the souk, and taste the mouth-watering dishes of lamb tagines and couscous as they are concocted over open fire pits along the winding back alleyways, or on balconies by women of the veil.

Suzanna presents a light and easy read with this book, retelling her adventure of creating a magnificent authentic riad home, and in this process, gained a multitude of new Moroccan friends that become her new family. Humorous, educational, heartwarming, this book is a fabulous mixture of travel narrative and a story of rebirth and renewal for both Suzanna and Sandy, and also for the House in Fez! Read more ›