Review by Rokette63 -- Gates to Tangier by Mois Benarroch

[Rokette63]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Gates to Tangier" by Mois Benarroch.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Gates to Tanger, written by Mois Benarroch, is a fictional piece of writing. It explores the external interactions and internal thoughts of a Jewish family who is trying to fulfill the last wishes of their father. Through each step of the journey, he explores how the siblings have each changed, whether through documenting the story on paper or wanting to explore further and find answers to their unanswered questions. This fictional book would appeal to a board audience of adults that are trying to find answers from their past. It truly explores the relationship of immigrants in their current first-world countries and their future and the land in which they immigrated from and their past. Readers are trying to figure out the various different relationships within a dysfunctional family and the way in which their father’s will has brought them together again. This book would not appeal to an audience of adults that are not curious about the lives of immigrants and their past.

The subjects discussed within the book were very board and general. I was surprised by the amount of information that I learned about other cultures while reading it. The tone of the book was very direct. It was written in a way that was easily read as the majority of the tale was written in dialogue and spoken by its character. Each part of the book was supported by written script and the internal thoughts of varying characters. It explored many different and cultural topics, which included life after death for both the deceased and those who are still living, the relationship that immigrants have to their new country and the calling from their past, the relationship between the Jews and Muslims, and the perspective of the general description of family. Each subject really made me relate further to my relationship with my culture and my immigrated parents and their past.

The fictional book was written very well but could still be enhanced to be much more enjoyable for the audience. It is a very good book to educate readers about the various cultural topics of immigrants, which include their new lives but also their pull into their past and the story of where they immigrated from. As a tale that is immersed deeply in culture, the author needs to explain cultural items much more. For example, a general reader would not know what a yarmulke is without further research outside of the tale. It is very important to explain such items as they could hold deeper meaning which would not be found and understood by the audience unless explained. In additional, the formatting of the story may be difficult to read at times and does take time to adjust to. At times, the tale does need a different format other than script so the audience can grasp its meaning better. In providing such, the author could really start to help the audience understand different cultures and the journey of an immigrant and family.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. It was written in a very educational manner yet was difficult to grasp due to its writing style. It is unlike other books where the material is very dry and hard to digest. The author really explores numerous controversial subjects that would interest a wide audience. This book has really opened my eyes to the viewpoint and struggles of an immigrant family. Even though there was much to learn from the subjects in the book, there were still many grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors due to the translation from different languages. Due to the vast amount of such and the formatting style, I could not rate the book 4 out of 4 stars.

Gates to Tangier, written by Mois Benarroch, is a fictional book that works to reveal the relationship of immigrant families between their new lives in first-world countries and their past in second-world cultural lands. The book was very educational and taught me to really learn from their journeys. It has taught me to truly value my new life but also learn from the past. I would recommend that each adult reads this book to gain further insight into their lives. We are our past after all.

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Gates to Tangier
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Like Rokette63's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kdstrack]

Your comments on this book are truly interesting. I agree that this book appeals to people who are learning to adapt to a new culture by a move. I also agree with your assertion that there are many unfamiliar words presented! Your point of view on this book is very comprehensive. Great job!

[Jaime Lync]

I am glad that this was a learning experience for you. Great review.