Reviews
"The immensely gifted and giving Eggers ... portrays Yemeni American Mokhtar Alkhanshali, who, after an unruly childhood in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, a transformative stay in Yemen with his grandfather, and success as a car salesman, finally finds his calling, which proves to be quixotic and dangerous: he commits himself to restoring Yemen's long-forgotten standing as the world's first and best coffee producer. Eggers crisply recounts coffee's delectably roguish history, into which Mokhtar's Sisyphean struggles fit perfectly.... Readers will never take coffee for granted or overlook the struggles of Yemen after ingesting Eggers's phenomenally well-written, juggernaut tale of an intrepid and irresistible entrepreneur on a complex and meaningful mission, a highly caffeinated adventure story." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product; the story of Blue Bottle, the elite coffee chain in San Francisco that some suspect (and some fear) could turn into the next Starbucks; an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country... It is hard to resist the derring-do of the Horatio Alger of Yemenite coffee." -- Kirkus (starred review) "The remarkable true story of a Yemeni coffee farmer... A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Surreal... Eggers tells the exciting true story of a Yemeni-American man's attempts to promote his ancestral country's heritage, giving both a timely gloss on the traditional American dream and a window into the nightmare of contemporary political instability... [ The Monk of Mokha ] works as both a heartwarming success story with a winning central character and an account of real-life adventures that read with the vividness of fiction." -- Publishers Weekly, "Exquisitely interesting... This is about the human capacity to dream--here, there, everywhere." --Gabriel Thompson, San Francisco Chronicle "A cracking tale of intrigue and bravery... A gripping, triumphant adventure story." -- Paul Constant, Los Angeles Times "[A] phenomenally well-written, juggernaut tale of an intrepid and irresistible entrepreneur on a complex and meaningful mission, a highly caffeinated adventure story." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product... an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country." -- Kirkus (starred review) "A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Capturing the spirit of our times with a flair few other writers can muster, Dave Eggers gives us a nail-biting immigrant story in reverse. The Monk of Mokha is not merely about 'coming to America,' it is a thrilling chronicle of one man's coming-and-going between two beloved homelands--a brilliant mirror on the global community we have become." --Marie Arana, author of American Chica and Bolivar: American Liberator "This American coming of age story reminds us all of how much our country is enriched by all who call it home." --Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think "Here's a story for our time: filled with ethos and pathos. You'll laugh, cry, and discover worlds unknown to most. From scamming in the Tenderloin to dodging bombs in Yemen, Mokhtar and Eggers take us on a worthwhile ride through the postmodern topography of our times." --Hamza Hanson Yusuf " Like many great works, Eggers' book is multifaceted. It combines, in a single moving narrative, history, politics, biography, psychology, adventure, drama, despair, hope, triumph and the irrepressible, indomitable nature of the human spirit -at its best." --Imam Zaid Shakir "In telling Mokhtar's story with such clarity, honesty, and humor, Eggers allows readers to consider Yemen and Yemenis - long invisible, side-lined, or maligned in the American imagination - in their wonderful and complicated fullness." --Alia Malek, author of The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria and A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories "A book filled with moments of sadness, laughter, danger, and triumph." --Jordan Michelman, Sprudge, "Exquisitely interesting... This is about the human capacity to dream--here, there, everywhere." --Gabriel Thompson, San Francisco Chronicle "A cracking tale of intrigue and bravery... A gripping, triumphant adventure story." -- Paul Constant, Los Angeles Times "A true account of a scrappy underdog, told in a lively, accessible style... Absolutely as gripping and cinematically dramatic as any fictional cliffhanger." --Michael Lindgren, The Washington Post "Remarkable... offers hope in the age of Trump... Ends as a kind of breathless thriller as Mokhtar braves militia roadblocks, kidnappings and multiple mortal dangers." --Tim Adams, The Guardian "A heady brew... Plainspoken but gripping ... Dives deep into a crisis but delivers a jolt of uplift as well." --Mark Athitakis, USA Today "A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Capturing the spirit of our times with a flair few other writers can muster, Dave Eggers gives us a nail-biting immigrant story in reverse. The Monk of Mokha is not merely about 'coming to America,' it is a thrilling chronicle of one man's coming-and-going between two beloved homelands--a brilliant mirror on the global community we have become." --Marie Arana, author of American Chica and Bolivar: American Liberator "This American coming of age story reminds us all of how much our country is enriched by all who call it home." --Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think "Here's a story for our time: filled with ethos and pathos. You'll laugh, cry, and discover worlds unknown to most. From scamming in the Tenderloin to dodging bombs in Yemen, Mokhtar and Eggers take us on a worthwhile ride through the postmodern topography of our times." --Hamza Hanson Yusuf " Like many great works, Eggers' book is multifaceted. It combines, in a single moving narrative, history, politics, biography, psychology, adventure, drama, despair, hope, triumph and the irrepressible, indomitable nature of the human spirit -at its best." --Imam Zaid Shakir "In telling Mokhtar's story with such clarity, honesty, and humor, Eggers allows readers to consider Yemen and Yemenis - long invisible, side-lined, or maligned in the American imagination - in their wonderful and complicated fullness." --Alia Malek, author of The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria and A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories "A book filled with moments of sadness, laughter, danger, and triumph." --Jordan Michelman, Sprudge, "The immensely gifted and giving Eggers ... portrays Yemeni American Mokhtar Alkhanshali, who, after an unruly childhood in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, a transformative stay in Yemen with his grandfather, and success as a car salesman, finally finds his calling, which proves to be quixotic and dangerous... Eggers crisply recounts coffee's delectably roguish history, into which Mokhtar's Sisyphean struggles fit perfectly.... [A] phenomenally well-written, juggernaut tale of an intrepid and irresistible entrepreneur on a complex and meaningful mission, a highly caffeinated adventure story." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product... an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country... It is hard to resist the derring-do of the Horatio Alger of Yemenite coffee." -- Kirkus (starred review) "The remarkable true story of a Yemeni coffee farmer... A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Capturing the spirit of our times with a flair few other writers can muster, Dave Eggers gives us a nail-biting immigrant story in reverse. The Monk of Mokha is not merely about 'coming to America,' it is a thrilling chronicle of one man's coming-and-going between two beloved homelands--a brilliant mirror on the global community we have become." --Marie Arana, author of American Chica and Bolivar: American Liberator "Eggers masterfully captures the courageous story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni American and co-founder of the top rated specialty coffee company Port of Mokha. The book reveals how Alkhanshali discovers himself and the gems of his roots through coffee and entrepreneurship. This American coming of age story reminds us all of how much our country is enriched by all who call it home." --Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think "Here's a story for our time: filled with ethos and pathos. You'll laugh, cry, and discover worlds unknown to most. From scamming in the Tenderloin to dodging bombs in Yemen, Mokhtar and Eggers take us on a worthwhile ride through the postmodern topography of our times." --Hamza Hanson Yusuf " Like many great works, Eggers' book is multifaceted. It combines, in a single moving narrative, history, politics, biography, psychology, adventure, drama, despair, hope, triumph and the irrepressible, indomitable nature of the human spirit -at its best." --Imam Zaid Shakir "In telling Mokhtar's story with such clarity, honesty, and humor, Eggers allows readers to consider Yemen and Yemenis - long invisible, side-lined, or maligned in the American imagination - in their wonderful and complicated fullness." --Alia Malek, author of The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria and A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories, "The immensely gifted and giving Eggers ... portrays Yemeni American Mokhtar Alkhanshali, who, after an unruly childhood in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, a transformative stay in Yemen with his grandfather, and success as a car salesman, finally finds his calling, which proves to be quixotic and dangerous: he commits himself to restoring Yemen's long-forgotten standing as the world's first and best coffee producer. Eggers crisply recounts coffee's delectably roguish history, into which Mokhtar's Sisyphean struggles fit perfectly.... Readers will never take coffee for granted or overlook the struggles of Yemen after ingesting Eggers's phenomenally well-written, juggernaut tale of an intrepid and irresistible entrepreneur on a complex and meaningful mission, a highly caffeinated adventure story." --Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review) "A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product; the story of Blue Bottle, the elite coffee chain in San Francisco that some suspect (and some fear) could turn into the next Starbucks; an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country... It is hard to resist the derring-do of the Horatio Alger of Yemenite coffee." -- Kirkus (starred review) "The remarkable true story of a Yemeni coffee farmer... A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Capturing the spirit of our times with a flair few other writers can muster, Dave Eggers gives us a nail-biting immigrant story in reverse. The Monk of Mokha is not merely about 'coming to America,' it is a thrilling chronicle of one man's coming-and-going between two beloved homelands--a brilliant mirror on the global community we have become. Mokhtar, the young Muslim-American whose very real dreams and energies galvanize these pages, may have roots in Yemen, but he is a classic American hero of the bootstrap variety, wresting gold from mere beans, weathering the slings and arrows of a civil war, and building a spirited enterprise out of thin air. A thoroughly absorbing and deeply inspiring true story." --Marie Arana, author of American Chica and Bolivar: American Liberator "Eggers masterfully captures the courageous story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, a young Yemeni American and co-founder of the top rated specialty coffee company Port of Mokha. The book reveals how Alkhanshali discovers himself and the gems of his roots through coffee and entrepreneurship. This American coming of age story reminds us all of how much our country is enriched by all who call it home." --Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think "Here's a story for our time: filled with ethos and pathos. You'll laugh, cry, and discover worlds unknown to most. From scamming in the Tenderloin to dodging bombs in Yemen, Mokhtar and Eggers take us on a worthwhile ride through the postmodern topography of our times. Saints, sages, salesmen, and sinners and everyone in between, they're all here in a literary brew of specialty coffee to wake us up to what it's like to be young and Muslim in an immigrant's America of today." --Hamza Hanson Yusuf, "A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product; the story of Blue Bottle, the elite coffee chain in San Francisco that some suspect (and some fear) could turn into the next Starbucks; an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country... It is hard to resist the derring-do of the Horatio Alger of Yemenite coffee." -- Kirkus (starred review) "The remarkable true story of a Yemeni coffee farmer... A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly "Surreal... Eggers tells the exciting true story of a Yemeni-American man's attempts to promote his ancestral country's heritage, giving both a timely gloss on the traditional American dream and a window into the nightmare of contemporary political instability... [ The Monk of Mokha ] works as both a heartwarming success story with a winning central character and an account of real-life adventures that read with the vividness of fiction." -- Publishers Weekly, "Exquisitely interesting... This is about the human capacity to dream--here, there, everywhere." --Gabriel Thompson, San Francisco Chronicle "A cracking tale of intrigue and bravery... A gripping, triumphant adventure story." -- Paul Constant, Los Angeles Times "I wish someone had asked me to blurb The Monk of Mokha so I could have said, 'I couldn't put it down,' because I couldn't put it down." --Ann Patchett, Parnassas Bookstore blog "A true account of a scrappy underdog, told in a lively, accessible style... Absolutely as gripping and cinematically dramatic as any fictional cliffhanger." --Michael Lindgren, The Washington Post "Remarkable... offers hope in the age of Trump... Ends as a kind of breathless thriller as Mokhtar braves militia roadblocks, kidnappings and multiple mortal dangers." --Tim Adams, The Guardian "A heady brew... Plainspoken but gripping ... Dives deep into a crisis but delivers a jolt of uplift as well." --Mark Athitakis, USA Today "A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity." --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly " The Monk of Mokha is not merely about 'coming to America,' it is a thrilling chronicle of one man's coming-and-going between two beloved homelands--a brilliant mirror on the global community we have become." --Marie Arana, author of American Chica and Bolivar: American Liberator "This American coming of age story reminds us all of how much our country is enriched by all who call it home." --Dalia Mogahed, author of Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think "Here's a story for our time: filled with ethos and pathos. You'll laugh, cry, and discover worlds unknown to most. From scamming in the Tenderloin to dodging bombs in Yemen, Mokhtar and Eggers take us on a worthwhile ride through the postmodern topography of our times." --Hamza Hanson Yusuf " Like many great works, Eggers' book is multifaceted. It combines, in a single moving narrative, history, politics, biography, psychology, adventure, drama, despair, hope, triumph and the irrepressible, indomitable nature of the human spirit -at its best." --Imam Zaid Shakir "In telling Mokhtar's story with such clarity, honesty, and humor, Eggers allows readers to consider Yemen and Yemenis - long invisible, side-lined, or maligned in the American imagination - in their wonderful and complicated fullness." --Alia Malek, author of The Home That Was Our Country: A Memoir of Syria and A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories
