The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah: Used

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eBay item number:285298796012
Last updated on Sep 22, 2025 11:18:15 PDTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including ...
Publication Date
2006-12-26
Pages
368
ISBN
9780553383102
Book Title
Caliph's House : a Year in Casablanca
Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
Item Length
8.3 in
Publication Year
2006
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Illustrator
Yes
Item Height
0.8 in
Author
Tahir Shah
Genre
Travel, Biography & Autobiography
Topic
Africa / Morocco, Africa / General, Special Interest / Family, Literary
Item Weight
11.4 Oz
Item Width
5.5 in
Number of Pages
368 Pages
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0553383108
ISBN-13
9780553383102
eBay Product ID (ePID)
54374729

Product Key Features

Book Title
Caliph's House : a Year in Casablanca
Number of Pages
368 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Africa / Morocco, Africa / General, Special Interest / Family, Literary
Publication Year
2006
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Travel, Biography & Autobiography
Author
Tahir Shah
Format
Trade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height
0.8 in
Item Weight
11.4 Oz
Item Length
8.3 in
Item Width
5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
22
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
"Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces."-- The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life."--Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence ."-- Entertainment Weekly From the Hardcover edition., "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy Ywritten? with the straightest of poker faces."--"The Washington Post Book Review" "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life."--Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence.""--"Entertainment Weekly" "From the Hardcover edition.", "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces." The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life."Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence ." Entertainment Weekly From the Hardcover edition., "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces."--The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life." --Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle'sA Year in Provence."--Entertainment Weekly From the Hardcover edition., "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces."- The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life."-Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence ."- Entertainment Weekly From the Hardcover edition., "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces."-The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life."-Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle'sA Year in Provence."-Entertainment Weekly From the Hardcover edition., "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life." --Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence."--"Entertainment Weekly, "Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces."--The Washington Post Book Review "A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life." --Doris Lessing "Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence."--Entertainment Weekly, " Tahir Shah's highly readable account of moving his young family to Casablanca is.... an outrageously black comedy [written] with the straightest of poker faces." -- "The Washington Post Book Review" " A wonderfully entertaining book - Tahir Shah's talent is to make you laugh while you are admiring the insights given by his most original and lively view of life." -- Doris Lessing " Reminiscent of Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence,"" -- "Entertainment Weekly" "From the Hardcover edition."
Dewey Decimal
964/.38053
Synopsis
By turns hilarious and harrowing, this work by an acclaimed English travel writer is the story of his family's move from the gray skies of London to the sun-drenched city of Casablanca, where Islamic tradition and African folklore converge--and nothing is as easy as it seems., In the tradition of "A Year in Provence" and "Under the Tuscan Sun," acclaimed English travel writer Tahir Shah shares a highly entertaining account of making an exotic dream come true. By turns hilarious and harrowing, here is the story of his family's move from the gray skies of London to the sun-drenched city of Casablanca, where Islamic tradition and African folklore converge- and nothing is as easy as it seems... . Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Tahir Shah dreamed of making a home in that astonishing country. At age thirty-six he got his chance. Investing what money he and his wife, Rachana, had, Tahir packed up his growing family and bought Dar Khalifa, a crumbling ruin of a mansion by the sea in Casablanca that once belonged to the city's caliph, or spiritual leader. With its lush grounds, cool, secluded courtyards, and relaxed pace, life at Dar Khalifa seems sure to fulfill Tahir's fantasy- until he discovers that in many ways he is farther from home than he imagined. For in Morocco an empty house is thought to attract jinns, invisible spirits unique to the Islamic world. The ardent belief in their presence greatly hampers sleep and renovation plans, but that is just the beginning. From elaborate exorcism rituals involving sacrificial goats to dealing with gangster neighbors intent on stealing their property, the Shahs must cope with a new culture and all that comes with it. Endlessly enthralling, "The Caliph's House" charts a year in the life of one family who takes a tremendous gamble. As we follow Tahir on his travels throughout the kingdom, from Tangier to Marrakech to the Sahara, we discover aworld of fierce contrasts that any true adventurer would be thrilled to call home. "From the Hardcover edition.", In the tradition of A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun , acclaimed English travel writer Tahir Shah shares a highly entertaining account of making an exotic dream come true. By turns hilarious and harrowing, here is the story of his family's move from the gray skies of London to the sun-drenched city of Casablanca, where Islamic tradition and African folklore converge-and nothing is as easy as it seems.... Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Tahir Shah dreamed of making a home in that astonishing country. At age thirty-six he got his chance. Investing what money he and his wife, Rachana, had, Tahir packed up his growing family and bought Dar Khalifa, a crumbling ruin of a mansion by the sea in Casablanca that once belonged to the city's caliph, or spiritual leader. With its lush grounds, cool, secluded courtyards, and relaxed pace, life at Dar Khalifa seems sure to fulfill Tahir's fantasy-until he discovers that in many ways he is farther from home than he imagined. For in Morocco an empty house is thought to attract jinns, invisible spirits unique to the Islamic world. The ardent belief in their presence greatly hampers sleep and renovation plans, but that is just the beginning. From elaborate exorcism rituals involving sacrificial goats to dealing with gangster neighbors intent on stealing their property, the Shahs must cope with a new culture and all that comes with it. Endlessly enthralling, The Caliph's House charts a year in the life of one family who takes a tremendous gamble. As we follow Tahir on his travels throughout the kingdom, from Tangier to Marrakech to the Sahara, we discover a world of fierce contrasts that any true adventurer would be thrilled to call home.

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    Great transaction, exactly as described, packed well, and promptly shipped on August 6th. Unfortunately the U.S. Postal Service took 23 calendar days to deliver the book. It was shipped from Pennsylvania, to Atlanta, past Alabama to Texas, enjoyed several days in Texas, then to Minneapolis, Jacksonville, Florida, back to Atlanta, finally to Birmingham, and Huntsville. The seller was very responsive and I decided it was interesting to see if/how the book would arrive. Thanks, Joe
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    I’m thrilled with my recent purchase . The website was user-friendly, and the product descriptions were accurate. Customer service was prompt and helpful, answering all my questions. My order arrived quickly, well-packaged, and the product exceeded my expectations in quality. I’m impressed with the attention to detail and the overall experience. I’ll definitely shop here again and highly recommend from this seller to others. Thank you for a fantastic experience!
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  • Thanks the book is in like new shape

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: second.sale

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    Love the descriptions.

    Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: second.sale