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205th out of 508 books
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A Handful of Honey: Away to the Palm Groves of Morocco and Algeria
by
Annie Hawes
An hilarious and thought-provoking new travel book from the bestselling author of Extra Virgin.
Aiming to track down a small oasis town deep in the Sahara, some of whose generous inhabitants came to her rescue on a black day in her adolescence, Annie Hawes leaves her home in the olive groves of Italy and sets off along the south coast of the Mediterranean.
Travel...more
Aiming to track down a small oasis town deep in the Sahara, some of whose generous inhabitants came to her rescue on a black day in her adolescence, Annie Hawes leaves her home in the olive groves of Italy and sets off along the south coast of the Mediterranean.
Travel...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
April 30th 2008
by Pan Books
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Be ready for a lot of anthropology, history, and politics as the inquisitive Annie Hawes wants to know everything about Morocco, the role of the Moors in European history and Algeria of the present. Never in fear of asking straight questions, she gets to the reasoning behind many of the religious rules and finds out why the youth of Algeria is becoming extremist.
It is heart-breaking to get closer to the timid, shy, locked-up-behind-veils-or-walls, forever working women. Even the heavy many-folde...more
It is heart-breaking to get closer to the timid, shy, locked-up-behind-veils-or-walls, forever working women. Even the heavy many-folde...more
My initial interest in reading this book was it's locations - Morocco and Algeria. Living in Morocco and having a Moroccan partner has led this country to hold a special place in my heart, thus any book set in Morocco would be of interest to me.
What I really liked about Annie Hawes writing style was that she really mixed the telling of the history of these countries with her own experiences very well. She was able to add humour to the cross-cultural problems/misunderstandings that on...more
What I really liked about Annie Hawes writing style was that she really mixed the telling of the history of these countries with her own experiences very well. She was able to add humour to the cross-cultural problems/misunderstandings that on...more
I learnt a huge amount reading this. Not just from Annie's tale, but from the research it inspired me to do to better understand, in particular the political landscape of Algeria at the time. Recommended read. Easy, engaging style, amazing encounters and quite an insight into the people encountered on this journey.
"A jar or honey or a basket of bees" this book to me was amazing in bringing the reader into cultures foreign to them and making it come alive. i enjoyed this book and felt brought into the whole story as if i were part of it. take the jar of honey and you have sweetness for a time. the basket of bees (hive) and you have honey for a long time, but maybe some other things thrown into the mix.
Zakaria Cham
added it
BEST BOOK
Slow going at first, but picks up steam once she gets out into the Moroccan countryside. Great insight into the real Algeria as well, especially in the "outback" where things weren't always as they seemed, although I found it a bit confusing keeping track of all the players there.
The two French guys she traveled with were straight out of a Tintin adventure, IMHO (yes, I know he's Belgian!).
Recommended for re-enforcing the reality that a nation's government isn't always uni...more
The two French guys she traveled with were straight out of a Tintin adventure, IMHO (yes, I know he's Belgian!).
Recommended for re-enforcing the reality that a nation's government isn't always uni...more
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Another great book from Annie Hawes. I just love her witty observations and sense of humour. This is a must read if you are planning a trip to Morocco or have already been. If you haven't read her books before I can highly recommend "Extra Virgin", her first book about setting up home in the Italian countryside.
My book-club and I have abandoned this book. Thank God.
I have enjoyed all of Annie Hawes books. I wondered if it was because she is writing about Italy but I enjoyed this one as much. It made me realise how little I know about these countries and I am looking forward to following her through the Sahara
I was really excited about this and got to page 246, but to be honest, it was a little too dense with the history of language, religion and colonisation for me.
I wanted more of the sights and sounds and tastes of Hawes' present-moment travel.
I wanted more of the sights and sounds and tastes of Hawes' present-moment travel.
It was the first time I had read a 'travel' book like this and I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading more of Annie's books.
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