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Summary: Shocking, Inspiring Journey from Riches to Rags to ...
Review: My friend loaned me this book, and I devoured Malika Oufkir's story in 2 nights of reading. I couldn't stop turning the pages of her life. I felt as if I were reading a friend's personal diary of happiness, laughter and luxurious times that turned to gut-wrenching, horrific and eventually awe-inspiring events. Not only did I learn of a family's personal 20-year tragedy and their search for freedom, but I also vastly improved my knowledge of Moroccan and French customs/lifestyles during the 60s-80s. I came away from this book with an enormous appreciation for the seemingly little things in life that in reality are luxuries in disguise. Buy this book. I promise you will not be disappointed by what you receive in return.
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Summary: Stolen reading time...
Review: Malika Oufkir went through hell and back. She almost didn't make it back, though. The story is sort of a memoir of the twenty years she spent in a desert jail. Instead of the "from rags to riches", its the other way around. She grew up a spoiled, little rich girl, living with the King Hussian in his palace. Than, for disobeying him, she's sent off with her family to a desert jail. I don't wanna ruin anything, so that's all I'll mention about the plot. The writing in this book is not very good at all, but you can't expect it to be a masterpiece from some one who lost many years of education. In all, it's worth reading if your interested in the plot, or you're a huge Oprah book club fan. Otherwise, forget it.
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Summary: Raw -moving and a revelation to the heart
Review: This book opened my eyes to the sheer freedoms that I take for granted each and every day. The fortitude and love that the family members had for each other was the steel of hope that kept them alive throughtout those wasted and stolen years.
For anyone who thinks that their lives has no meaning or purpose, this book will remind you of just how precious life really is.
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Summary: The Long Hard March to Freedom
Review: Compelling, but very very tiring to relive this horrendous ordeal.Many of my questions remained unanswered at the end of the book.However, I am compelled to read this once more to see if I missed something.Sometimes unbelievable, but I believe the author is true to her beliefs.
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Summary: For Teenage Girls
Review: "Stolen Lives" is the story of Malika Oufkir, the daughter of a close aide to the King of Morocco who is forced to live eleven years in the king's harem and then two decades in prison for her father's treason. She and her mother and siblings are sophisticated, wealthy, and attractive when they are locked away, which helps to kindle the young reader's sympathy. This book was written after Oufkir fled to France and told her story to co-writer Michele Fitoussi. The story is compelling enough, filled with fantasy worlds of unimaginable wealth, it is tragic enough as a beautiful family is tossed into jail for no legal reason, and there is the redemptive conclusion as they escape and reflect on the strength of the human spirit. It's all perfect grist for a storybook for adolescent girls. Fitoussi's prose is as breathless as any romance novel. The plotting is a thin chronology with facts quickly forgotten and no pesky political explanations to set up the context. The characters are all transcendently beautiful. Not much substance for a critical reader -certainly not enough to merit a book club discussion- but lots of faraway starry-eyed romance for a teenager.
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Summary: Hauntingly told story of Stolen Lives...
Review: What Malika Oufkir and her family went through is horrifying, unjust, barbaric, and it is almost difficult to believe that any one of them survived to tell the tale. But that she is able to describe it so hauntingly and even beautifully - to convey the hopelessness and hope, the physical changes, the emotional torments, the hunger and deprivation, the fear and courage - that they all endured during 20 years in prison helps give their story more power and allow for a glimpse into an unimaginable existence. Malika Oufkir's father was a powerful military man in Morocco, so much so that he was close to the king and even sent Malika to grow up with the princess in the palace for much of her childhood. His involvement in a bloody and unsuccessful coup led to his death and the imprisonment of his family for 20 years - Malika's mother, her five siblings and some servants - in increasingly harsh conditions until their escape and eventual release. For Malika, a young woman with dreams of a film career and a life of extravagance - clothes, travel, servants - the change was a dramatic one, while for some of her younger siblings basically grew up in the prison. At first, the family is able to bring their fine clothes and books with them, but by the time of their final move, they are starving, suicidal and almost broken in spirit. The most fascinating aspects of the book for me were the ways in which the family copes, the ingenuity they use to communicate, survive and escape, and how they had to adjust upon returning to civilization after their escape and release. Malika has a lot of bitterness, obviously, toward the royal family but also toward those who deserted the family once they were arrested - given the political climate, it does seem perfectly understandable why people would shy away but then again so,I suppose, does the family's sense of betrayal. The book's power is diluted somewhat by being filtered through Malika's perspective, colored as it is by her emotions such as the belief that a higher power ensured their survival. Malika admits to growing up incredibly spoiled with a sense of entitlement; unfortunately, her consciousness of the wrongs her family suffers does not seem to be applied to others, such as slaves, servants or other political prisoners. Yet Malika's somewhat conflicting traits serve to underscore the strangeness and complexity of her life and situation, going from such extreme luxury and favor to such unbelievable deprivation. In many ways, locked away from the world as a young woman, she seems to have remained in late adolescence in some fashion. In conjunction with her bizarre experiences, this gives Malika a unique voice for what is in many ways a heart-breaking but triumphant story, one that should not be missed.
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Summary: A Heart Rending story, missing some pertinent info though!
Review: Stolen Lives chronicles the life of the Oufkir family, told by Malika Oufkir. Malika's father, General Oufkir, was the inside man to the King of Morocco, Hassan II. But for reasons never revealed in the book, General Oufkir attempts a coup and ends up executed. The King places the family under house arrest and eventually they are taken off to a remote prison in the most appalling of conditions. Malika does a wonderful job of describing their ordeal and how the family made it through these terrible times. I felt like I was right there in the dirty cell with them. I felt for all of the family and Malika's storytelling it was made this book. However there were some missing pieces to the puzzle. First of all, it is never made known as to why the General (Oufkir) would attempt to overthrow the government. There is no information on the political system of Morocco, so I am just left confused as to why the General did it, considering his families outcome. Also, once the Oufkirs escape from Bir-Jdyd, there seems to be a lapse in time once they are at the house with the garden. Malika doesn't describe what happens in those years, it just seems like there was alot of the same things happening. Maybe that is the case, but I just didn't feel like there was a significant synopsis from the house arrest to their final release years later. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to others. I was shocked to find that a family was actually forced to endure the punishment of their father and couldn't believe something like this could happen in this day and age. It goes to show you anything is possible when dealing with other human beings. That being the negative side of the coin, the positive side is the human spirit that does eventually triumph. I am very happy that the Oufkir family is finally free.
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Summary: This is True?? so hard to imagine
Review: how they suffered. What a tragic tale but also what courage they all had. This is a must read for every one. I hope it will open our eyes to the pain and suffering of others in our world. Thanks Malika for sharing your touching story!
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Summary: Greater appreciation of life
Review: I found this book very touching one would never think that humans could treat one another like that. It is very harsh and painful. What I liked about this book is the way she tells her personal life story each and every event that occurred and how it affect her family and herself. Those tortures and pain they all went through together, life lessons, and their courage, bravery, all come together to allow us to realize how lucky we are to be living right now. There are many unfortunate people around the world and yet we are all staring at the computer screen reading this commentary I¡¦m writing. We are very lucky and should be appreciating what we have and whom we meet. Life is not always as smooth and great as it can be, it is a bumpy road you can¡¦t always walk your way through it without tripping or falling. That is what Ms. Oukfir shows us in this book. As a young girl she was being treated like a royal princess not many girls are lucky enough to have been adopted by his royal highness to be his daughters playmate. Those were happy days in her life where she lived royally, but her life began going downhill when all these different issues occurred. She and her family did not just all give up, even thought at times they were almost going to, points where life was not meaningful anymore, or they thought they did not have hope. However, because they had one another they were strong and continued to conquer each obstacle they meet.
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Summary: Eye Opening, mind grabing story!!
Review: I could not put this book down. I was both repulsed and intrigued by what she and her family were forced to go through. I had no idea things like this where happening especially now. You'll be drawn in the painful world that is Marie's life, I found myself willing her strength and praying for their escape. This book would appeal to many ages although younger children may not fully grasp the meaning behind this event. Also the main character and champion of this novel is a female there are aspects that will appeal to guys. I loved following her pampered childhood especially her time in the palace; finding if extremely interesting. All together I would recommend it to everyone. Although with the warning that once you pick it up you'll never be able to put it down!
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