Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Stolen Lives, 20 Years in a Desert Jail

By: Malika Oufkir

Publisher's Synopsis

A gripping memoir that reads like a political thriller--the story of Malika Oufkir's turbulent and remarkable life. Born in 1953, Malika Oufkir was the eldest daughter of General Oufkir, the King of Morocco's closest aide. Adopted by the king at the age of five, Malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence surrounded by luxury and extraordinary privilege.
But in 1972, her life of luxury came to a crashing halt. Her father was executed for attempting to assassinate the king, and she and her family were imprisoned for two decades. Stolen Lives is the story of their resilience and their resolve to live in freedom.

This book changed my life. I will never take for granted my home and my freedom, ever again. I normally don't get too emotional when reading books, but this book made me cry throughout the whole thing. I cried for the utter devastation this family endured. I cried because of the strength this family had, for their lives that were literally thrown away by someone who at one time loved them. My heart fluttered at every success they had...it broke with every set-back. And to know that this family lost 20 years of their life, yet found the courage to continue on. This is a must read!

5 comments:

Andrea said...

This looks so good...I love these kind of books. I will definitely check this one out!

lynsey said...

oh i guess i was wrong about not reading too much non-fiction. i read this a few years ago and LOVED it! i was amazed at this woman's strength & character. it was an unforgettable story. glad you posted about it!

Brittanie said...

Great book! SO sad what she went through.

Anonymous said...

I love inspiring books like this one. I, like Lyns, read it about 8years ago and have NEVER forgotten it. This past month, in my neighborhood bookclub we read a book about a family who went through an ordeal and it destroyed them. It was very disheartening to me. I much prefer to hear about triumphs of the human spirit. Thank you for reviewing this!

S and RA Beazer said...

It's obvious why this was a Oprah's book club book. I loved it and so do most of those who I recommend it two.