Review by auracast -- Keys to Tetouan by Mois Benarroch

[auracast]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Keys to Tetouan" by Mois Benarroch.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Keys to Tetouan by Mois Benarroch seemed to be a promising book.I would rate it 2 out of 4 Though historical fiction is not for everyone, the book’s introduction was enough to peak my interest. The story revolves around different generations of the Benzimra family and how their Jewish beliefs impact their lives. It also centers on subjects such as religious prejudice, antisemitism, and self discovery.

I am glad I persevered with finishing this book. I not going to lie and say I loved it. But, it definitely did have aspects to it that did appeal to me. I really enjoyed the idea of the protagonist wanting to find his roots and the backstories of his family. I especially liked the following line: “I could have been …. And yet I don’t even know what I actually was”. That particular line and story had a sort of haunting beauty to it.

One of the positive points this book has is how it analyzes social behavior. It was both interesting and ironic to see how the different cultures in the various stories tried to justify their racism and prejudice. The effects of antisemitism across generations and the way the author explains the way they tie into history was very educating. I know that is not every one’s cup of tea. But, if I’m going to read historical fiction, I want to at least learn a little bit of history along the way. This book met that requirement for me.

Now on to the not so good bits. Personally, I feel the book lacked excitement and order towards the beginning. It was very hard to keep track of what was going on or who was talking. In part, I feel the beginning chapters had way to many run on sentences. By the time the reader finally understands what is really going on, too many other subplots have already occurred. Some of the individual stories were more interesting, but the individual ideas weren’t very cohesive; especially because of the viewpoints were constantly changing. . It is my personal opinion that the book needed to have more background information in the beginning chapters. Otherwise, readers would probably lose interest before getting to the good parts.

Overall, I would probably rate this book a 2. It wasn’t great but it also wasn’t awful. The key elements were enough to keep me interested but the execution towards the beginning was off putting. I would recommend it for fans of historical fiction especially if they are interested in Judaism and its effects throughout time.

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Keys to Tetouan
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