The Sons of Fez: A Moroccan Time Travel Adventure

by Kay Hardy Campbell

Moroccan tour guide Ibrahim brings a busload of students from a summer Arabic program to stay in the medina (old city) of Fez, right next door to a newly-opened time portal. When a student goes missing, Ibrahim looks for him and slips into the past, where they find themselves in a fight to save the city. Along the way they come face to face with the mysteries of the medina, where history lives around every corner. 2022 Maine Literary Award Finalist

Genres: Time Travel

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2021

About the author

From Kay: I was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Massachusetts and Minnesota. Along the way I developed a lifelong fascination for the Middle East, especially the Arabian Peninsula. I earned a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree from Harvard in Middle Eastern Studies. I lived in Saudi Arabia for several years with my American husband, (my college sweetheart and a fellow student of Arabic). While living in the kingdom, I began writing cultural features for the English language dailies, the Arab News and the Saudi Gazette. Researching stories gave me a professional excuse to explore the culture and meet many fascinating people. Since returning to the U.S., I've traveled back to Saudi Arabia three times on assignment for AramcoWorld Magazine to write about Saudi culture, women and the arts. I first visited Morocco in 2005, and immediately fell in love with the medina (old city) of Fez. The medina inspired me to write The Sons of Fez, for I feel that there is something to learn from every stroll I take through its streets and alleys. While I'm still fascinated with the Middle East, I do write about other things too. My short fiction has appeared in the Aroostook Review, my features and essays in Chamber Music America, Down East, and Cabin Life, and poetry in the literary journal Mizna. Other great passions include Arabic music as well as the folk music and folk dances of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. I play Arabic music and am co-founder and administrative director of the Arabic Music Retreat. My husband and I live in Maine.

Reviews

[Mina MacGabhann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun read! Loved the description of Fez in both time periods, and especially the details about the music and dancing.

Another fun book by Kay. Highly recommended

[Amelia.S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sons of Fez by Kay Hardy Campbell is an enchanting blend of history, adventure, and cultural discovery that brings the ancient Moroccan city of Fez vividly to life. With lyrical prose and cinematic worldbuilding, Campbell takes readers on a journey where the boundaries between past and present blur, creating a narrative that is as intellectually engaging as it is thrilling.

The story’s heart lies in its sense of wonder the way it captures the pulse of Fez’s medina, where every narrow alley hides echoes of centuries old stories. Ibrahim’s accidental slip through time becomes more than a plot twist it’s a meditation on heritage, identity, and the invisible threads that bind generations. The novel’s mix of folklore, language, and suspense makes it both educational and emotionally resonant.

Rich in atmosphere and imagination, The Sons of Fez is a rare literary adventure one that celebrates Moroccan culture while exploring timeless human themes of courage, belonging, and destiny.

[وشْم · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية أبناء فاس – مغامرة عبر الزمن للكاتبة الأمريكية كاي هاردي كامبل ترجمة المبدع محمد كحال.

تُروى الحكاية على لسان جنّي، بوصفه شاهدًا عابرًا للأزمنة وحارسًا لهذه البوابة.

في رواية أبناء فاس ينقسم فيها الخطّ السرديّ لعالمين اثنين، أحدهما يؤدي للآخر بشكلٍ أو بآخر عبر بوابة زمنية تفصل الماضي عن الحاضر.
في كلّ عالمٍ من العالمين خطّ زمني مختلف، ما بين القرن الرابع عشر وزمننا هذا، وهذا الفارق الزمني الكبير أعطى العمل بعدًا فنتازيًا عجائبيًا مبهر.

و من خلال هذه الرواية ندخل لفاس الضاربة بجذورها في عمق التاريخ، المدينة المعروفة تاريخيًا بالعلم والفلسفة، ندخلها من بوابة الفنتازيا التاريخية.

توثّق وتؤّرخ الرواية من خلال كاتب أمريكي مكانيًا وزمانيًا للحضارة العربية، وتسلّط الضوء على قوّتها.
الرواية ممتعة وثريّة بالمعلومات، وتشكّل إضافة مهمّة لكلّ قارئ.

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Transitions between world superbly done. really takes your there. Super suspenseful and great historical context. Loved peering into to the music and trance .Looking forward to more from this author!

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

time travel

How interesting to learn about Morocco today and in the distant past. Great characters and descriptions of the surroundings,ceremonies, and costumes.

[Laralyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting learning about ancient and modern Morocco. Dragged and lost my attention a little in the middle though.