Helpful Score: 2
I enjoyed it, this what happens when a relationship author decides to write a spy novel. I suppose it's as realistic as any John LeCarre or Ken Follett novel.
Helpful Score: 2
Lulu in Marrakech was for me a victim of preconceived notions. Lulu Sawyer--the alias of a novice CIA field agent--narrates her time in Marrakech with the mission of tracing how money flows to radical Islamist groups. Lulu does not fit the part, or perhaps she internalized her cover story too well -- coming to Marrakech to continue a romance with Englishman Ian Drumm while working on female literacy on the side.
Without prior research, she doesn't know what she's getting into and worries when Ian doesn't come pick her up at the airport. Her stay consists mostly of spending time with other expatriates in the Marrakech community, relatively isolated in Ian's villa, contemplating the female Muslim condition in that hesitant, rising pitch intonation that turns everything into an unanswered question. She is kept in the dark by her Company colleagues, and it seems like a sheer coincidence that the intrigue which happens occurs in her small circle. However, if I didn't expect a spy novel in an exotic locale, having known that Diane Johnson is a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominated novelist for social and moral comedies featuring American heroines in foreign lands, I might have enjoyed Lulu's experience more. Since the story is well set up for a sequel, I might have the chance to try again.
Without prior research, she doesn't know what she's getting into and worries when Ian doesn't come pick her up at the airport. Her stay consists mostly of spending time with other expatriates in the Marrakech community, relatively isolated in Ian's villa, contemplating the female Muslim condition in that hesitant, rising pitch intonation that turns everything into an unanswered question. She is kept in the dark by her Company colleagues, and it seems like a sheer coincidence that the intrigue which happens occurs in her small circle. However, if I didn't expect a spy novel in an exotic locale, having known that Diane Johnson is a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominated novelist for social and moral comedies featuring American heroines in foreign lands, I might have enjoyed Lulu's experience more. Since the story is well set up for a sequel, I might have the chance to try again.
Helpful Score: 1
Not a good representation of Morocco at all. I lived in Morocco, and not only does Diane Johnson simplify and exoticize life there to the extreme, she gets things wrong. I might be nit-picking, but she gets a lot of terminology wrong (at the end, she says "zatak" instead of "zakat" when referring to Islamic charity". Since the main character is supposed to be some kind of secret agent, it was discordant to me that she barely knew anything about Morocco. A fun read, but read a guide book about Morocco to get a better idea of what the heck she's talking about.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting idea, but could have been better developed. Lulu, unfortunately, is generally out-of-the-loop and rather clueless about the international intrigue she's supposed to be a part of. There was a lot of potential to create a truly mind-blowing, shocking revelation about any of the various characters, but it didn't come to pass. A pleasant book, though.
