These 8 Books Will Transport You to Morocco

Let’s be honest: the scent of cumin and orange blossom lingering in the air, the clash of colors in a Marrakech souk, and the feeling that behind every carved wooden door is a secret garden or a story just waiting to unfold. Morocco has a vibe. But if hopping on a flight to Casablanca isn’t in the cards right now, the next best thing is curling up with a book that brings Morocco to life.

Whether you’re looking for something written by Moroccans, set in Morocco, or that just oozes with North African atmosphere, we’ve got you covered.

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami

Laila Lalami is one of Morocco’s literary gems, and this book is a must-read. Told through interconnected stories, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits follows four Moroccans who attempt to cross the Strait of Gibraltar into Spain in search of a better life. It’s part social commentary, part character study, and so touching.

What’s brilliant is how Lalami weaves the before and after of this perilous journey, giving us insight into the push-and-pull of poverty, family, and dreams. It’s not just about immigration, it’s about the human cost of hope and aspiration.

It’ll take you through Tangier and Casablanca, which will give you a wonderful exploration of everything Moroccan.

The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shah

This one is an absolute riot. When Anglo-Afghan author Tahir Shah moves his family from London to a crumbling (although somewhat charming) old mansion in Casablanca, things do not go smoothly. There are jinns (spirits), sullen guardians, and endless home repairs. Think A Year in Provence but with more incense and curses.

It’s laugh-out-loud funny, often ridiculous, and totally heartfelt. Through his chaos, Shah also peels back layers of Moroccan belief, superstition, folklore, and hospitality in a way that feels both loving and honest.

For Bread Alone by Mohamed Choukri

Translated into English by none other than Paul Bowles, this memoir is a tough but brilliant read. Choukri grew up in extreme poverty and taught himself to read and write in his twenties. His prose is simple, direct, and devastating.

For Bread Alone doesn’t romanticize. It’s about hunger, literal and metaphorical. Hunger for food, for dignity, for a voice. It also happens to be one of the most banned and celebrated books in the Arab world.

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles

Let’s head deep into the Sahara with this 1949 classic. American writer Paul Bowles, who lived in Tangier for over 50 years, wrote The Sheltering Sky as both a psychological exploration and a travel novel.

It follows a couple who travel through North Africa post–World War II, only to find themselves pretty quickly unraveling in the vast emptiness of the desert. It’s moody, atmospheric, and really quite deeply unsettling. Sure, this book isn’t a light beach read, but it does transport you to the very dessert you’re craving.

Sex and Lies by Leïla Slimani

Leïla Slimani doesn’t pull punches. Born in Rabat, this prize-winning author and journalist went around Morocco speaking to women about sex, shame, secrecy, and silence. This book is the result. It’s a fierce and unflinching series of interviews and reflections that exposes the gap between public morality and private reality.

It’s not a novel, but it reads like one: urgent, confessional, and really brave. If you want to understand modern Morocco beyond the postcard-perfect images, Sex and Lies is a bold starting point.

A House in Fez by Suzanna Clarke

This memoir is for everyone who’s ever daydreamed about buying a riad in Morocco and living a simpler, spicier life. (Guilty.) World-famous Australian writer Suzanna Clarke and her husband did exactly that. They purchased a centuries-old house in Fez and restored it using traditional, historical methods.

Inevitably, they were faced with logistical nightmares. But they also very quickly developed a deep reverence for Moroccan craftsmanship, community, and life. The descriptions of tilework alone will have you Googling “Fez flights now.”

Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun

Tahar Ben Jelloun is one of Morocco’s literary heavyweights, and Leaving Tangier is a melancholic masterpiece that demonstrates exactly why. It’s about two young people who dream of a life across the sea in Spain. But they soon find out that, well, nothing is simple.

The writing is lush and poetic, exploring not just the physicality of Morocco but the people who live in it. It’s all about borders, between countries, between dreams and reality, and between self and society.

The Sand Child by Tahar Ben Jelloun

First published in French in 1985, The Sand Child is a haunting, allegorical novel by Tahar Ben Jelloun, a man who is easily one of Morocco’s most acclaimed authors and even a perennial Nobel contender. The novel tells the story of Ahmed, the eighth daughter of a Moroccan father who, desperate for a male heir, raises her as a boy.

Set in early 20th-century Morocco and narrated in the style of a traditional hakawati (storyteller). It explores gender roles, social expectations, and personal identity in a rigidly patriarchal society, all through poetic prose that mirrors Moroccan storytelling customs.

It’s not a quick or casual read, but it’s the kind of story that will have you locked in from page one, especially if you’re interested in Moroccan literature that challenges norms and draws from cultural roots.