Mortimer of the Maghreb: Stories

by Henry Shukman

In this psychologically complex and darkly humorous debut collection, awardwinning writer Henry Shukman introduces an unforgettable cast of characters, travelers whose certain paths around the world lead invariably back to the uncertain self.

In “The Garden of God” an aging, ailing war reporter reflects on his adventures covering a little-known conflict in the Sahara and the precipitous and disgraced end of his career; In “Old Providence,” a dissolute artist mourns a lost love and the “bloody perfect island” where, through his own callow foolishness, he lost her. In “Darien Dogs” a man goes south to Panama, desperate for a business deal that will restore his finances and sense of mastery, only to find himself on a confounding search for a beautiful, mysterious woman and his stolen wallet. By turns full of suspense, farce and poignance, always alive with energy and atmosphere, these are the stories of a gifted and assured writer.

Genres: Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Henry Shukman (IG: @henryshukman) is an authorized Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, and is spiritual director emeritus of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

He is the co-founder and lead meditation teacher for The Way, a meditation app that provides a modern update to the ancient path of meditation training. He also leads meditation courses and retreats.

Henry is an award-winning poet and author, whose memoir One Blade of Grass recounts his own journey through meditation practice. His new book Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening is a manual and map describing the four key zones of meditation practice. Original Love is now available for pre-order, and will be published in early July, 2024.

His struggles and traumatic experiences as a youth, combined with a spontaneous awakening experience at 19, and many years of training under several teachers, paved the way for his developing a well-rounded approach to healing and awakening through meditation.
(copied from Amazon Web page

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful stories. Described a life and landscape very different from mine. Very thought provoking.

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evocative and compelling, dark. Great writing.

[Tarynroch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sort of your typical story of a war reporter, traveling off to far lands and making somewhat narrow conclusions about the people he is studying. This is normal for most foreigners in lands where it is difficult to truly immerse in or understand new, so different cultures, and in this way, Shukman's writing is true to life. He's a decent story teller. The first half the book takes place in North Africa, and despite the somewhat silly existence of a love story thread, it's generally well-done. You can truly feel what it is like to walk through the desert for days. The second half takes place in the Carribean with a totally different character who strikes me as a complete jerk so I did not complete this half.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found the whole book painfully boring, but especially the first story. Mortimer actually says “war is boring”. I'll have to take his word for it, but I’d rather not read a boring novel. The shifting back and forth between past, present, and middle didn't flow well at all. I enjoyed some of the beautiful descriptions of the desert, a climate I have never admired or identified with, so there was that. Old Providence didn't really stand out to me, and Darien Dogs came across as totally ridiculous much of the time.