Rating: 
Summary: Arrested Development
Review: While I quickly read this book, I was left feeling strangely unemotional about it. Initially, I attributed this to the rather poor writing, which I may be tempted to blame on the factors of it's being an "as told to.." book, as well as a translation. While I have no doubt that Malika and her family were unjustly imprisoned for twenty years, (there could never be a just reason for imprisoning children) in often truly wretched conditions, there is much of the story that has many contradictions and inconsistancies, that you begin to wonder. I wish more time had been spent detailing certain things which would have given them more credibility-such as the method they used to communicate with each other while in separate "cells",(while the writer took the time to describe it, I was unable to visualize it even after several readings) how they managed to keep the radio fuctioning, how they were able to pass so much material back and forth to each other between cells.
What I began to understand after reading a bit of biographical material on both the King and her father from differing points of view (ie. obituries of King Hassan II from the Washingtom Post and from a worldwide Socialist newspaper) were that both men were tyranical and powerful/power hungry. And these are the men that Malika had as father figures. This combined with the fact that Malika was imprisoned when she was still an adolescent led me to realize that emotionally she has truly never left her adolescence -that intense period of self-absorbption, and egocentricity.(As the mother of a 16 year old, I live with it daily). And as Malika has said of her self-"I was a spoiled brat"
While this is the story that is being told by a 40 year old woman, emotionally, Malika has never left her adolescence.
Rating: 
Summary: response to veiled4azawajal
Review: Anyone who says what this reviewer said is simply mean and heartless. They were not reviewing a book, but instead taking out anger on people they don't even know. Who cares if that stuff about Malika Oufkir's father is true? That is no excuse for what happened to her family. And what happened to her family is one of the worst things that could happen to somebody. Maybe if veiled4azawajal was imprisoned for twenty years, eating moldy, rotten food, living with rats and vermin, bathing in Tide, and lying in bed constantly, unable to move, then they could understand that you can't just "get over" an ordeal like that.
No, this book is not a greatly written book if someone is talking about good writing in the usual sense. However, this is a wonderful book. It is amazing that Malika Oufkir would be able to bring herself to discuss truly horrible and painful details. But it is a good thing she did. Any normal person that reads this will see that the human spirit can prevail and that people can survive unimaginable horrors. Malika Oufkir and her family are amazing. This book should not be criticized due to technical or editing errors. People read books for different reasons, and there are true, important reasons for reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Would you like some truth with that?
Review: I strongly disliked this book because of one main reason...there was alot of false information. She makes her father look like a hero when really he was a villain...not neccesarily for attempting to assasinate the King who might I add provided anything his children and wife could possibly want but because of this: The reason I know this is because I am from Morocco and yes my family lived through this event. What happened was that Malika's father General Oufkir was not a very good man, had killed several people in the name of the king and had enjoyed it. There was a scientist that worked for the king that proposed to pay the citizens a certain amount of money...the king didn't like this so the scientist went to france and began a plot to kill the king, he wanted a sort of communist government. So anyway, general oufkir goes over to france and brings the scientist back to the king. The obvious solution was to kill the scientist (to the pleasure and doing of oufkir) by dipping him in hot acid (talk about humane) A few years later Oufkir plotted to assasinate the king and he too was executed. Thus his family was thrown in jail. No i dont think it is great that they were but hey worse things have happpened so get over it and move on...fyi a platypus could write better then malika oufkir. So now you know...General Oufkir was a villain not a hero, The king may have been a tyrant but he got his way and he is dead now anyway... and Malika needs to get over her "ordeal".
Rating:
Summary: Courage
Review: This book had me from the first word. I won't make this a long
review because you have to read it to understand what the family
went through. There life wasted in a desert jail for 20 years
and treated so badly that at times its hard to get through.
Specially from a family from wealth only to be treated worse
than dogs. Its A MUST READ. You will be left with an everlasting
image of there lives. I shall never forget this book. And I thank
Malika for writing this book.......
Rating:
Summary: Real survivors
Review: Quit watching those plastic survival television shows and emerse yourself in this true life story of day by day life on the edge of death . Malika's story telling the world of her family life within the walls of prisons was an inspiration to me to find the beauty and value in the usually overlooked , everyday items.She and her family treasured things that most of us toss out without a thought. Nothing was taken for granted. My sense is that Malika and her family live in the present,always alert and aware of just where they are in this world. I thank her for this reminder to open my eyes to what is around us. She and her family are not" on automatic" as take each breath. After reading this book, I am more aware that there are so many more political prisoners right now suffering as Malika and her family did. It makes me angry that we let weak and evil people in power. Why do we continue to allow this to go on?
Rating:
Summary: Stolen Lives Review
Review: Stolen Lives would be a great book for a more mature audience. The age group would probably be from 15 and on, because of the graphic details and language. The book starts out with Malika Oufkir being adopted by the King of Morocco because his daughter wanted a live in playmate for his daughter. Malika's biological father was accused (and then murdered) because of an accused assassination attempt on the King, and as a result, choose to imprison the whole Oufkir family. They spend twenty years in various jails and experienced unimaginable situations.
The book uses literary techniques very effectively. The first technique I found to be in abundance was imagery. I found that this book appealed to the five senses and really gave a reader a sense for the images that were present. The vivid description of what they ate was unbelievable. 'We never had any milk, butter or fruit, except a few shriveled dates and mouldy oranges from time to time. Rotting vegetables, two bowlfuls of flour, a bowlfuls of chick peas and one of lentils, twelve bad eggs, a piece of spoiled meat, a few lumps of sugar, a litre of oil per month and a little tub of Tide-that was all we were usually given.[SIC]' Another literary technique I found to be very effective were details. The details put into the book support the somber, sad tone of Stolen Lives. They also support the emotion difficulties going through Oufkir's head. 'In the dark I could hear my mother sobbing. Alone in her bed, she wept over the loss of her husband more than the loss of our freedom. Her life as a woman had ended at the age of just thirty-six. By dying, my father had condemned her to solitude. During the day she often read the Koran, and I could see from her sad eyes, always puffy with tears, how much she suffered.' These are only a small sample of the many literary devices used to enhance the book.
My emotions were like a roller coaster when I read this book. I was happy at the beginning when the main character Malika was adopted by the king, but I was sad and depressed when the details of the imprisonment were given. The conclusion of the book was rather exciting and shocking.
Stolen Lives was truly a wonderful book. The thorough account of the experiences brought a sad memory of Malika's life back to reality.
The ending was very interesting and brought about more positive events for the family.
Rating:
Summary: What a story.
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's thrilling, sad, actually very sad, unfair but teaches us about how not to give up even though the circunstances are terrible.
Malika was the daughter of the Prime Minister of Marroco and then the King who was a good friend of her father adopted her to be with the King's daughter Lalla Mina.
So when Malika was 18 she went back home with her family and two years after her father was accused of trying to kill the King, so Malika's father was executed and she and her family were sended some time after to a prision and and then to another and they had to suffer lots of things like hunger, humiliation and a kind of life that wasn't human.
I strongly recommed this book I've only described a short part of it but i'm sure you'll love it. And once you start reading it you won't stop until you finish it, actually I read it in 2 days because it was so good.
Rating: 
Summary: A Brave and Honest Book
Review: Malika speaks to the world in this heart-wrenching account of her life. Her story is one of courage and the ability of the human heart to triumph over the worst of situations. Malika endured terrible hardships and lived in unspeakable conditions. Yet she survived and her story is one to be heard.
Rating:
Summary: You will never complain again!
Review: Wow! If you were feeling sorry for yourself before you started this book, your life is probably looking charmed by the time you finish it.
This is the story of a young Morrocan girl taken from her family at the age of 5 to be the companion of the princess. Raised lovingly by the King and sheltered by the luxuries of the royal palace, she still longed for her own family.
Reunited with them at the age of seventeen, she enjoyed two years of happiness before her life would change forever. Her real father, a high ranking military official is killed after a failed attempt to assasinate the King. Malika, along with her mother and younger siblings, is immediately imprisoned. Living conditions quickly deteriorate, as does the family's health.
The horror that the Oufkir family endured for 20 years is beyond belief.
Imagine eating nothing but moldy carrots & chickpeas, and making a rare treat of "french toast" with rotten eggs and moldy bread.
Imagine sleeping on a filthy cot with the corpses of rotting mice inside your mattress.
Imagine helplessly watching as your mother and siblings physically deteriorate to within inches of their lives. There you have just a sample of what this incrediby courageous family experienced. In their struggle to survive, they emerge with such an appreciation of the simple things in life.
You will seriously reevaluate your priorities after reading their story.
Their daring escape will leave you holding your breath with anxiety and worry for their safety.
Trapped between loyalty for her real father, and remembering her affection for the King who imprisoned her, Malika's spirit and determination will amaze you. My only criticism of the book is that I wish it ended less abruptly. After dreaming of freedom for so long, I would have liked to hear more about the family's experiences when they were released.
A thrilling and emotional page-turner, made all the more compelling because it is a true story!
Rating:
Summary: Captivating story of survival
Review: When Oprah first choose this book for her book club I didn't think I would like this but after hearing so many raves and taking a closer look at the description I decided to read this. I am still in awe of how this family survived this terrible ordeal and I couldn't put this book down until I found out what would happen next. This book is about the family of General Oufkir in Morocco and is being told by his eldest daughter Malika. Malika was raised in the palace and adopted by King Mohammed as a playmate for Princess Lalla Mina. King Mohammed died suddenly and his son King Hasan became Malika's adopted father. She left the palace to return to her family when she was 17 and by the time she was 19 she was imprisoned along with the rest of her family because her father had staged an unsuccessful coup. We learn of the unbelievable horrendous conditions these people had to live with, they had very little food and the conditions were not sanitary. They were only given Tide to wash up with and had to use salt as toothpaste. Their cells were infested with all kinds of insects, mice and rats but somehow this family found the will to survive it all. This is a story of survival and courage which will totally captivate you. This book is a fast read because its the type of book that made me stay up late to finish while I was yawning at my desk in the morning. I highly recommend reading this book.
|
