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The Couscous Chronicles: Stories of Food, Love, and Donkeys from a Life between Cultures
Azzedine Downes moves between cultures, places, and time in this wryly comedic, at times mysterious, and always curious memoir of a lifelong nomad.
The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story?
Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he's a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends the glue-sniffing shoemakers of Fez, becomes the de facto manager of a traveling break-dance troupe, dodges bullets on his daily commute, and finds himself cursed over a feast of couscous gone very, very wrong.
But his most powerful story recounts Azzedine's marriage to an elusive girl from Tangiers. Arranged after only two meetings their love story ultimately spans continents and withstands language barriers, international intrigue, and one very antagonistic State Department bureaucrat.
A labyrinth of tales as complex as its namesake dish, The Couscous Chronicles is for anyone who believes that the only real failure is to remain unchanged and in place, that true love is always a blind leap, and that a good story over a cup of tea holds the power to change one's destiny.
The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story?
Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he's a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends the glue-sniffing shoemakers of Fez, becomes the de facto manager of a traveling break-dance troupe, dodges bullets on his daily commute, and finds himself cursed over a feast of couscous gone very, very wrong.
But his most powerful story recounts Azzedine's marriage to an elusive girl from Tangiers. Arranged after only two meetings their love story ultimately spans continents and withstands language barriers, international intrigue, and one very antagonistic State Department bureaucrat.
A labyrinth of tales as complex as its namesake dish, The Couscous Chronicles is for anyone who believes that the only real failure is to remain unchanged and in place, that true love is always a blind leap, and that a good story over a cup of tea holds the power to change one's destiny.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 30, 2023
Azzedine T Downes has had the privilege – or the challenge – of being present for some of the 20th century’s critical moments and he has lived in some of the most turbulent countries in the world. He has worked for the Peace Corps and is now the President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The Couscous Chronicles is the first volume of his autobiography. Despite his accounts of some hair-raisingly dangerous situations this is not a dry political commentary, in fact it is a lively and often laugh-out-loud funny book. The title is a clue. Who knew there was so much religious tradition and etiquette attached to such a simple and ubiquitous dish as couscous? And then there is the hilarious episode with the donkey – but I don’t want to spoil the story.
Downes’ precise family background is never fully explained but suffice to say he is a blue-eyed, Arab-speaking, family-centred man with an American passport and an Irish father, living wherever his work takes him. The book explores the many ways that he has created change in his life; from travel, to an arranged marriage to ‘the girl from Tangiers’, to talking down violent situations and changing the attitudes of influential people, such as Yasser Arafat. Throughout it all we see that he is a pragmatic person with a sense of humour and a strong set of beliefs. We also explore a variety of countries including Yemen, Bulgaria, Morocco and ‘the Stans’: some of the less frequently visited countries of the former Soviet bloc.
I found the beginning of the book a little confusing: I wasn’t sure why this boy of mixed heritage was living with an adoptive Moroccan family and where his parents were. Maybe I missed something! I came to thoroughly like the author as a character and found his balanced perspective on world events and situations such as the division of Jerusalem very interesting. Equally, his criticism of bureaucracy and prejudice is even-handed and often quite amusing. He is a talented linguist, but he learns that there is more to communication than just a shared language. He describes himself as a time traveller, as he navigates his way through the traditions and beliefs associated with the medina in Fez or the old city in Jerusalem. Some of the situations described are hair-raising, as his family lives with the possibility of kidnappings and bus bombings. He mentions the Arabic concept of ‘maktub’, which says that everything is pre-ordained, but he doesn’t seem to rely on this to keep him safe.
The serious side of The Couscous Chronicles is leavened with light-hearted moments that make this a thoroughly readable account. It's amusing to read of people’s confusion on meeting him, as they try to pin down his identity. His appearance suggests one thing, his accent another. He is suspected of being a spy, a different nationality, a different religion but mostly they decide he is Syrian – he is not. But he is an engaging and entertaining writer and I hope it isn’t too long before volume two of Azzedine T Downes’ story is published.
Downes’ precise family background is never fully explained but suffice to say he is a blue-eyed, Arab-speaking, family-centred man with an American passport and an Irish father, living wherever his work takes him. The book explores the many ways that he has created change in his life; from travel, to an arranged marriage to ‘the girl from Tangiers’, to talking down violent situations and changing the attitudes of influential people, such as Yasser Arafat. Throughout it all we see that he is a pragmatic person with a sense of humour and a strong set of beliefs. We also explore a variety of countries including Yemen, Bulgaria, Morocco and ‘the Stans’: some of the less frequently visited countries of the former Soviet bloc.
I found the beginning of the book a little confusing: I wasn’t sure why this boy of mixed heritage was living with an adoptive Moroccan family and where his parents were. Maybe I missed something! I came to thoroughly like the author as a character and found his balanced perspective on world events and situations such as the division of Jerusalem very interesting. Equally, his criticism of bureaucracy and prejudice is even-handed and often quite amusing. He is a talented linguist, but he learns that there is more to communication than just a shared language. He describes himself as a time traveller, as he navigates his way through the traditions and beliefs associated with the medina in Fez or the old city in Jerusalem. Some of the situations described are hair-raising, as his family lives with the possibility of kidnappings and bus bombings. He mentions the Arabic concept of ‘maktub’, which says that everything is pre-ordained, but he doesn’t seem to rely on this to keep him safe.
The serious side of The Couscous Chronicles is leavened with light-hearted moments that make this a thoroughly readable account. It's amusing to read of people’s confusion on meeting him, as they try to pin down his identity. His appearance suggests one thing, his accent another. He is suspected of being a spy, a different nationality, a different religion but mostly they decide he is Syrian – he is not. But he is an engaging and entertaining writer and I hope it isn’t too long before volume two of Azzedine T Downes’ story is published.
December 25, 2023
it is a wonderfull book. very human, sometimes very funny, clever.sometimes i loughed a lot. it is a story of a time traveler as he call himself but for me he was a traveler with very keen eye. Azzedine who is muslim from Irish origin a quite strange combination. writes about his life in many countries. the great part is the first half when hevwtites about Morocco and Yemen. really good insights on life, places and people. the second half is more like anecdotes. ok. the part on his time in Israel was hard and sad for me to to read. you get to know the writer as a very interesting sensitive and good guy. great read. i should give it 4.5*
July 19, 2023
Azzedine Downes has written a spectacular memoir.
Never heard of Azzedine Downes? Doesn't matter! This book is an excellent read!
Downes has lived all over the world, in places most Americans will never see. His unique experiences and engaging voice make his stories such fun to read.
Fun and fascinating, humorous but also dangerous, this book feels like sharing a moment with a man who's lived a fascinating life - and enjoys telling the stories!
His early exploits trying to fit in as a young man teaching in Morocco are absolutely hilarious. Each time he learns something new, he quickly discovers he's barely scratched the surface.
I couldn't put this book down. Following Downes on his travels became a definite escape from reality.
If you want to see the world through the pages of a book, this is the place.
Downes reminds readers that the world is a big place, full of unique traditions and cultures. His best advice is to stay curious and respectful - but to also enjoy the journey!
After all, his life proves that adventure is out there!
To be honest, I picked up this book because Jane Goodall wrote the foreword. But I stayed for the odyssey! And of course, the couscous. (Just make sure you follow the couscous etiquette.)
Never heard of Azzedine Downes? Doesn't matter! This book is an excellent read!
Downes has lived all over the world, in places most Americans will never see. His unique experiences and engaging voice make his stories such fun to read.
Fun and fascinating, humorous but also dangerous, this book feels like sharing a moment with a man who's lived a fascinating life - and enjoys telling the stories!
His early exploits trying to fit in as a young man teaching in Morocco are absolutely hilarious. Each time he learns something new, he quickly discovers he's barely scratched the surface.
I couldn't put this book down. Following Downes on his travels became a definite escape from reality.
If you want to see the world through the pages of a book, this is the place.
Downes reminds readers that the world is a big place, full of unique traditions and cultures. His best advice is to stay curious and respectful - but to also enjoy the journey!
After all, his life proves that adventure is out there!
To be honest, I picked up this book because Jane Goodall wrote the foreword. But I stayed for the odyssey! And of course, the couscous. (Just make sure you follow the couscous etiquette.)
July 5, 2023
Thank you to the author, Disruption Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of autobiographical stories is like a meander through the life of the OG chill dude, an American Muslim of Irish ancestry - and no, it's never really explained how that fits together. Lots of adventures, lots and lots of them, many celebrating the author's cluelessness and high degree of chill - but at some point I did get a bit fed up with the way the author seemed to live life at a remove and through happenstance. He never reveals much below the surface, in terms of how things affected him emotionally, personally and so overall the book comes across as an odd collection of anecdotes in the world's hotspots, but not a cohesive life portrait.
This collection of autobiographical stories is like a meander through the life of the OG chill dude, an American Muslim of Irish ancestry - and no, it's never really explained how that fits together. Lots of adventures, lots and lots of them, many celebrating the author's cluelessness and high degree of chill - but at some point I did get a bit fed up with the way the author seemed to live life at a remove and through happenstance. He never reveals much below the surface, in terms of how things affected him emotionally, personally and so overall the book comes across as an odd collection of anecdotes in the world's hotspots, but not a cohesive life portrait.
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March 15, 2024This was a good read. I had questions though.
March 17, 2024
Azzedine, I heard your voice reading the book, too! So grateful to read about your experiences. I also laughed out loud several times!!!
November 8, 2023
Full disclosure; Azzedine is my neighbor.
He is one of too many people I have known for many years without really knowing him. We have chatted out on our quiet street, and I’ve talked with his wife Nadia. I’ve always liked both of them and now I feel like I have an opening to know them better.
While this book may seem like a string of stories and essays of Azzedine’s travels as a Peace Core volunteer, and later more of a manager, to me it is about the dangers of bureaucracy, the inherent failures of a lack of curiosity about people from different cultures, and what it is like to live in a place where each day is a test of survival (exhausting, frightening, numbing).
As the war in the Middle East rages, and the war in Ukraine stagnates, I feel connected to the people living each day as best they can.
There is also the mystery of Nadia, who left everything familiar to become Azzedine’s wife and their children’s mother, boldly and elegantly, humorously and stoically, doing what she feels tasked with doing.
I feel really grateful to have them both on our street, and look forward to becoming their friend.
He is one of too many people I have known for many years without really knowing him. We have chatted out on our quiet street, and I’ve talked with his wife Nadia. I’ve always liked both of them and now I feel like I have an opening to know them better.
While this book may seem like a string of stories and essays of Azzedine’s travels as a Peace Core volunteer, and later more of a manager, to me it is about the dangers of bureaucracy, the inherent failures of a lack of curiosity about people from different cultures, and what it is like to live in a place where each day is a test of survival (exhausting, frightening, numbing).
As the war in the Middle East rages, and the war in Ukraine stagnates, I feel connected to the people living each day as best they can.
There is also the mystery of Nadia, who left everything familiar to become Azzedine’s wife and their children’s mother, boldly and elegantly, humorously and stoically, doing what she feels tasked with doing.
I feel really grateful to have them both on our street, and look forward to becoming their friend.
July 25, 2023
Did I know who Azzedine Downes was before I read this book? Nope. Did it matter? Nope!
Azzedine's memoir is amazing and so engaging! Working with the Peace Corp, he traveled to multiple countries on assignment (Morocco, Israel, Bulgaria, and others). In this lovely memoir, he shares a collection of experiences and stories from the various places he has lived. Adding interest, he is a blue-eyed man with Irish ancestry, a name of Arabic origin, and the ability to speak multiple languages, including Arabic, English, and French - as you might guess, this leads him to have some very unique interactions with others who feel that all his "puzzle pieces" don't fit. Far from being only focused on his work, Azzedine shares much about the cultures of the places he has lived, as well as allowing us to get to know his wife and children through his writing. His use of humor is impeccable and was possibly the best part of the book, never trivializing important subjects, but adding a sense of wonderment to his stories. You couldn't pull me away from any future book he may write.
Azzedine's memoir is amazing and so engaging! Working with the Peace Corp, he traveled to multiple countries on assignment (Morocco, Israel, Bulgaria, and others). In this lovely memoir, he shares a collection of experiences and stories from the various places he has lived. Adding interest, he is a blue-eyed man with Irish ancestry, a name of Arabic origin, and the ability to speak multiple languages, including Arabic, English, and French - as you might guess, this leads him to have some very unique interactions with others who feel that all his "puzzle pieces" don't fit. Far from being only focused on his work, Azzedine shares much about the cultures of the places he has lived, as well as allowing us to get to know his wife and children through his writing. His use of humor is impeccable and was possibly the best part of the book, never trivializing important subjects, but adding a sense of wonderment to his stories. You couldn't pull me away from any future book he may write.
September 25, 2023
The Couscous Chronicles was a great read! The author tells his story of travel and adventure via a series of short stories. Most of which will have you laughing. The stories carry across the book to weave into a cohesive telling of his time in Morocco, Jerusalem, Yemen, and Bulgaria. While most of the book is light hearted and humorous, there are also touching, and at times frightening moments.
Was a great book to pick up and pass the time. The short story format made it an easy read, especially when crunched for time in day to day life.
Highly recommend.
Was a great book to pick up and pass the time. The short story format made it an easy read, especially when crunched for time in day to day life.
Highly recommend.
July 8, 2023
Do you want to embark on an adventure through different countries, cultures, and lives, then this is the book for you. Stories woven into a tapestry of life where there is laughter, fear, astonishment, love and everything in between. Stories that share making friends and sometimes enemies, about the everyday mundane and the extraordinary. So come along for the ride, be it a donkey or a plane and experience the rich tapestry that is life.
January 30, 2023
I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book. It's a testament to the author's writing style and ability to fully engage the reader that I found it difficult to put the book down. It's a riveting and unforgettable memoir, a book that showcases the author's marvelous perception of humankind and his capacity to see the positive, and often the humorous, in every situation.
From living in an old palace in Morocco during his Peace Corps days to graduate school back in the States, to positions within North Africa, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Middle East, Downes, now the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), recounts his colorful career before IFAW - with an entertaining and at times hilarious view of cultural differences, language barriers, and human interaction. He is a gifted storyteller with an open heart, and the vignettes from his well-traveled years are both funny and poignant, tender and insightful.
Highly recommended.
From living in an old palace in Morocco during his Peace Corps days to graduate school back in the States, to positions within North Africa, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Middle East, Downes, now the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), recounts his colorful career before IFAW - with an entertaining and at times hilarious view of cultural differences, language barriers, and human interaction. He is a gifted storyteller with an open heart, and the vignettes from his well-traveled years are both funny and poignant, tender and insightful.
Highly recommended.
June 14, 2023
I was fortunate to receive an advance reader’s copy of this book via NetGalley in return for my honest review. Thank you.
What a life Azzedine has lived! And, true to his Irish ancestors, he has taken his real-life adventures and spun them into fantastic tales from around the globe. I have also lived outside of my native culture for much of my adult life, so these stories particularly resonated with me. But, I believe that they are also universally engaging and also speak to important larger themes in the world today. First, spend time listening to others and you’ll learn more and be happier for it. Second, bureaucrats are the worst. And third, there is no single “Muslim world” where all the world’s Muslims have the same story to tell. I loved the cultural diversity of Azzedine’s experiences across the Middle East. If you want a book that is funny, adventurous, and empathic in equal measures, this is the book to read.
What a life Azzedine has lived! And, true to his Irish ancestors, he has taken his real-life adventures and spun them into fantastic tales from around the globe. I have also lived outside of my native culture for much of my adult life, so these stories particularly resonated with me. But, I believe that they are also universally engaging and also speak to important larger themes in the world today. First, spend time listening to others and you’ll learn more and be happier for it. Second, bureaucrats are the worst. And third, there is no single “Muslim world” where all the world’s Muslims have the same story to tell. I loved the cultural diversity of Azzedine’s experiences across the Middle East. If you want a book that is funny, adventurous, and empathic in equal measures, this is the book to read.
August 14, 2023
Fascinating look at the life of a man who has crossed many borders in his work and the things he learned along the way. Being married to a North African I also found many parts laugh out loud funny.
January 1, 2024
What an adventure!
Azzedine has a had a very interesting and adventure filled life. I enjoyed reading about the many different things he has done, but especially enjoyed the humorous anecdotes peppered throughout.
Azzedine has a had a very interesting and adventure filled life. I enjoyed reading about the many different things he has done, but especially enjoyed the humorous anecdotes peppered throughout.
August 4, 2023
Overall a delightful and rich memoir of a fascinating time in the author's life and the world. I found it difficult to get into at first....later I realized he writes with joyful sarcasm and self deprecation, at times. I missed his conversion to Islam, given that the rest of his family was not Muslim (or living out the faith). I suspect that would have been another compelling story. I found the recounting of his navigation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and stubborn U.S. approaches particularly interesting. The region would be "healthier" in the sense of better functioning if more U.S. and INGO workers had his outside-of-the-box approach to problem-solving.
May 27, 2023
This has been such a brilliant read!
It was fascinating reading about places I've never been to and getting an insight into the different cultures.
It was informative, but also very funny at times especially when people kept asking poor Azzedine where he, and sometimes the family too, were from, and the people aksing not believing the answer. Well, it humourous to me, but I'm not Azzedine felt the same way after the amount of times he was asked that!
The book was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Disruption Books and Azzedine for the chance to read this.
It was fascinating reading about places I've never been to and getting an insight into the different cultures.
It was informative, but also very funny at times especially when people kept asking poor Azzedine where he, and sometimes the family too, were from, and the people aksing not believing the answer. Well, it humourous to me, but I'm not Azzedine felt the same way after the amount of times he was asked that!
The book was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Disruption Books and Azzedine for the chance to read this.
August 13, 2023
Book: The Couscous Chronicles
Author: Azzedine T. Downes
Format: Digital
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Mecca
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Azzedine Downes has lived a fascinating life–he’s worked for the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and is currently the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He has lived all over the world and this book is a collection of stories about his time visiting, living, and working in several countries–mostly in the Middle East, though he spends some interesting time in Bulgaria, the United States, and a few other spots. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life of a blue-eyed American who speaks fluent Arabic and can simultaneously fit in and stand out in different cultures. It’s an interesting book and Azzedine shares some good stories–but there isn’t really an overall theme or plotline or story to the book. It’s a collection of memories–some have great detail and interesting insight, but I also often found myself looking for more. I felt like I learned some things about locations and cultures I don’t much about (that’s why I’m into travel books after all), but if you’re not looking for that kind of insight, it’s okay to skip it.
Author: Azzedine T. Downes
Format: Digital
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Mecca
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Azzedine Downes has lived a fascinating life–he’s worked for the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and is currently the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He has lived all over the world and this book is a collection of stories about his time visiting, living, and working in several countries–mostly in the Middle East, though he spends some interesting time in Bulgaria, the United States, and a few other spots. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life of a blue-eyed American who speaks fluent Arabic and can simultaneously fit in and stand out in different cultures. It’s an interesting book and Azzedine shares some good stories–but there isn’t really an overall theme or plotline or story to the book. It’s a collection of memories–some have great detail and interesting insight, but I also often found myself looking for more. I felt like I learned some things about locations and cultures I don’t much about (that’s why I’m into travel books after all), but if you’re not looking for that kind of insight, it’s okay to skip it.
July 26, 2023
Wonderful read. Whether or not you have traveled to all the places Azzedine has lived and worked you will love this book. He recounts his life and journeys with a great deal of humor and always with an ever present love and respect for the humanity he encounters across continents. So many laugh out loud stories as he moves through countries and cultures always striving to find the source of the cultural traditions he encounters. You will travel with him as you read, and in the end you will, as he has, learn much about different parts of the world’s cultures and histories but just as importantly learn how these encounters inevitably teach you just as much about yourself. I couldn’t put it down!
November 8, 2023
A great memoir-esque journey through time, travel, and personal transformation. At points, this book is laugh-out-loud funny and at others deeply moving.
My book club read this over the summer of 2023 and our group discussion was drawn from so many different directions and reactions. Very happy with this choice for our club!
My book club read this over the summer of 2023 and our group discussion was drawn from so many different directions and reactions. Very happy with this choice for our club!
October 3, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed the exciting and wildly fun adventures in Couscous Chronicles. Azzedine is readily able to make his unimaginable journey come alive with such clarity that you are transported thru time, diverse relationships & cultures. There is a feast of laugh out loud moments, with a heavy serving of education about our global community.
Read
August 3, 2023I absolutely loved this book. It is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. It is a page turner, fascinating, scary, funny, insightful, an excellent book. Azzedine is a natural writer and has had an amazing life so far. I highly recommend this book. I hated to finish it.
July 3, 2023
6/30/2023 4.5 stars rounded up. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
7/3/2023 With a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall.
I am so glad Azzedine T Downes' friends persuaded him to write a book about his travels, because this memoir is amazing! Funny and thoughtful, it's a wonderful debut and hopefully the first of many more fascinating books about his life and philosophies.
The Couscous Chronicles covers Mr Downes' adult life from when he was a Peace Corps officer suspected of being a spy for the CIA in Morocco, roughly to the end of his tenure with the agency. As a young teacher in 1980s Morocco, his blue eyes and prematurely greying hair caused much suspicion, as most of the people he met had a hard time believing that he was Muslim, American and decently proficient in Arabic. Soon enough, he was attracting the attention of many locals eager to betroth him, either to themselves or to their available relatives. While he was definitely amenable to having a marriage arranged by Islamic tradition, there were some catches that he was definitely uninterested in, leading him to eventually flee Morocco for the relative safety of post-graduate studies in Harvard. His career would eventually take him back to the Middle East as a newly married man. After his posting in Yemen, he was sent to Eastern Europe with his young family, before becoming the Peace Corps' chief of operations in Jerusalem.
This fascinating book covers that entire time period in anecdotes that are often laugh out loud hilarious, just as often thoughtful, and always entertaining. The storytelling, which often elides certain details other memoirs would dive into, definitely wears a thin patina of nostalgia, as any retrospective on one's own life would. One thing he's very clear about not missing, tho, is being hampered by certain bureaucracy-loving desk jockeys of the United States government. Bad enough when their jealousy of his ability to navigate life on the ground in the Global South attempted to turn punitive. When their rigidity and ineptitude threatened to get his people killed, he realized that maybe working in a government agency was no longer the life for him.
And it isn't just bureaucracy that he turns his critical eye to. Racism, sexism and xenophobia -- no matter where their source -- are all dealt with sharply, yet even-handedly, in this book. Mr Downes learned early on that differences between cultural expectations must be navigated in such a way as to ensure that more benefit than harm comes to all the people involved in the exchange. A strident declaration of how things should be is all well and good until one's personal safety is at stake because of a refusal to understand danger. Staying calm but watchful often helps him figure out how to protect himself and his loved ones, a skill that becomes invaluable when he and they are thrust into life-threatening situations. Having a great sense of humor helps preserve mind and soul, in addition to body.
As an Asian American person who often doesn't "look Muslim" and who's had to navigate different cultures over the course of world travel myself, I greatly appreciated this artfully woven collection of tales. So many of his stories reflect my own experiences dealing with and deflecting the casual bigotry of others, as well as my joy in discovering the wondrous and new. This is a great book for anyone who believes in staying intellectually nimble and open-hearted. I loved it, and hope there will be many, many more memoirs to come from this remarkable author.
The Couscous Chronicles by Azzedine T. Downes was published June 27 2023 by Disruption Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
7/3/2023 With a foreword by Dr Jane Goodall.
I am so glad Azzedine T Downes' friends persuaded him to write a book about his travels, because this memoir is amazing! Funny and thoughtful, it's a wonderful debut and hopefully the first of many more fascinating books about his life and philosophies.
The Couscous Chronicles covers Mr Downes' adult life from when he was a Peace Corps officer suspected of being a spy for the CIA in Morocco, roughly to the end of his tenure with the agency. As a young teacher in 1980s Morocco, his blue eyes and prematurely greying hair caused much suspicion, as most of the people he met had a hard time believing that he was Muslim, American and decently proficient in Arabic. Soon enough, he was attracting the attention of many locals eager to betroth him, either to themselves or to their available relatives. While he was definitely amenable to having a marriage arranged by Islamic tradition, there were some catches that he was definitely uninterested in, leading him to eventually flee Morocco for the relative safety of post-graduate studies in Harvard. His career would eventually take him back to the Middle East as a newly married man. After his posting in Yemen, he was sent to Eastern Europe with his young family, before becoming the Peace Corps' chief of operations in Jerusalem.
This fascinating book covers that entire time period in anecdotes that are often laugh out loud hilarious, just as often thoughtful, and always entertaining. The storytelling, which often elides certain details other memoirs would dive into, definitely wears a thin patina of nostalgia, as any retrospective on one's own life would. One thing he's very clear about not missing, tho, is being hampered by certain bureaucracy-loving desk jockeys of the United States government. Bad enough when their jealousy of his ability to navigate life on the ground in the Global South attempted to turn punitive. When their rigidity and ineptitude threatened to get his people killed, he realized that maybe working in a government agency was no longer the life for him.
And it isn't just bureaucracy that he turns his critical eye to. Racism, sexism and xenophobia -- no matter where their source -- are all dealt with sharply, yet even-handedly, in this book. Mr Downes learned early on that differences between cultural expectations must be navigated in such a way as to ensure that more benefit than harm comes to all the people involved in the exchange. A strident declaration of how things should be is all well and good until one's personal safety is at stake because of a refusal to understand danger. Staying calm but watchful often helps him figure out how to protect himself and his loved ones, a skill that becomes invaluable when he and they are thrust into life-threatening situations. Having a great sense of humor helps preserve mind and soul, in addition to body.
As an Asian American person who often doesn't "look Muslim" and who's had to navigate different cultures over the course of world travel myself, I greatly appreciated this artfully woven collection of tales. So many of his stories reflect my own experiences dealing with and deflecting the casual bigotry of others, as well as my joy in discovering the wondrous and new. This is a great book for anyone who believes in staying intellectually nimble and open-hearted. I loved it, and hope there will be many, many more memoirs to come from this remarkable author.
The Couscous Chronicles by Azzedine T. Downes was published June 27 2023 by Disruption Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
March 13, 2024
Having just sat down to write a review of Mr. Downes's magnificent first novel; "The Couscous Chronicles," I am struggling to find the appropriate words. This is a troubling development for someone like myself who considers himself a writer as well. It's not that I don't have any "words or thoughts" to convey, it's just that I hope my review will be as clever, brilliant, and thought provoking as Azzedine's new book.
"You" might think that as a writer, I could come up with something better than " You have to read this book because it's so much like "blah, blah, blah,'' that we have read before. This somehow, in literary terms, seems disingenuous; lacking in frankness, candor, and sincerity, but in my case, I consider it quite the compliment to recall epic characters, and authors from fiction and non-fiction to help me describe my own reading participation of the The Couscous Chronicles. The crux of my fascination with this book is not just that Azzedine's writing invokes remembrance of novels, editorials, essays, and journalistic endeavors, but he himself appears in "these" pages as a writer, a travel journalist, a war correspondent, a historian, a Peace Corp Volunteer, a rollicking humorist, a keen observer in an "unobserving world," and literary what sometimes seems as a jet-setting fictional character, in a non-fictional odyssey where he is indeed the main persona in the story of his own life; as it damn well should be!
I am reminded of John Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" as he runs into several of these occupations from deep in the Medina (old city section) of Fez, Morocco, or the Ambassador's office in Israel, or the basement of the U.S. State Department. Sometimes he encounters these characters, while other times he is hilariously accused of being one of "them."
I am reminded of Joseph Heller's, Catch-22, and Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote where in this instance, Mr. Downes does not heroically "tilt" at windmills, but the overwhelming moronic government bureaucracy, and the vindictive robots that he often encounters, but manages to write about with such engaging humor that we laugh instead of cry at the senseless cruelty of it all.
I am reminded of the old CBS Television series of video journalist Charles Kuralt and his segments of "On The Road" showing and describing to "us" places of wonder, beauty, and amazement that we may never, ever, get to visit in person, but now feel the world is a tad bit smaller and somehow we have glimpsed a spec of it.
Mr. Downes travels to so many places and shares his stories with with such grace that "one" could mistake his pedigree to that of some "high profile-silver spoon- politically appointed-highbrow elitist (that's a lot of dashes), but the truth is, Azzedine often journeyed as a barley-paid Peace Corp Volunteer, and a marginally-paid government employee, not to mention a husband, and father of 3 children who at times dot the pages of his book with with love and amusing stories.
This is a wonderful piece of literature filled with fascinating tales and a wonderful ending; despite his humorous recollection of a woman who as an unrequited love interest may, or may not have put a curse on him.
Read and find out!
Zulu Delta
Publisher; "ZD45-Observations of an Un-Observing World."
March 2024
Zuludelta45.net
"You" might think that as a writer, I could come up with something better than " You have to read this book because it's so much like "blah, blah, blah,'' that we have read before. This somehow, in literary terms, seems disingenuous; lacking in frankness, candor, and sincerity, but in my case, I consider it quite the compliment to recall epic characters, and authors from fiction and non-fiction to help me describe my own reading participation of the The Couscous Chronicles. The crux of my fascination with this book is not just that Azzedine's writing invokes remembrance of novels, editorials, essays, and journalistic endeavors, but he himself appears in "these" pages as a writer, a travel journalist, a war correspondent, a historian, a Peace Corp Volunteer, a rollicking humorist, a keen observer in an "unobserving world," and literary what sometimes seems as a jet-setting fictional character, in a non-fictional odyssey where he is indeed the main persona in the story of his own life; as it damn well should be!
I am reminded of John Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" as he runs into several of these occupations from deep in the Medina (old city section) of Fez, Morocco, or the Ambassador's office in Israel, or the basement of the U.S. State Department. Sometimes he encounters these characters, while other times he is hilariously accused of being one of "them."
I am reminded of Joseph Heller's, Catch-22, and Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote where in this instance, Mr. Downes does not heroically "tilt" at windmills, but the overwhelming moronic government bureaucracy, and the vindictive robots that he often encounters, but manages to write about with such engaging humor that we laugh instead of cry at the senseless cruelty of it all.
I am reminded of the old CBS Television series of video journalist Charles Kuralt and his segments of "On The Road" showing and describing to "us" places of wonder, beauty, and amazement that we may never, ever, get to visit in person, but now feel the world is a tad bit smaller and somehow we have glimpsed a spec of it.
Mr. Downes travels to so many places and shares his stories with with such grace that "one" could mistake his pedigree to that of some "high profile-silver spoon- politically appointed-highbrow elitist (that's a lot of dashes), but the truth is, Azzedine often journeyed as a barley-paid Peace Corp Volunteer, and a marginally-paid government employee, not to mention a husband, and father of 3 children who at times dot the pages of his book with with love and amusing stories.
This is a wonderful piece of literature filled with fascinating tales and a wonderful ending; despite his humorous recollection of a woman who as an unrequited love interest may, or may not have put a curse on him.
Read and find out!
Zulu Delta
Publisher; "ZD45-Observations of an Un-Observing World."
March 2024
Zuludelta45.net
July 24, 2023
In "The Couscous Chronicles," Azzadine T. Downes masterfully weaves together the captivating tale of his international service weaving together cross-cultural perspectives, engaging humor, and an authentic voice that leaves readers enchanted. The story follows the young Azzadine through his Peace Corps service in Morocco, to early-mid life in the mountains and deserts of Yemen, recounting challenges and triumphs with authenticity and a genuine celebration of cultural diversity. We learn of his eternal optimism serving in Jerusalem as a special envoy supporting the Palestinian peace process.
One of the book's highlights lies in its engaging humor, cleverly laced throughout the narrative. Downes employs a delightful balance of wit and situational comedy, which not only elicits laughter but also serves to bridge gaps between cultures, encouraging readers to embrace the quirks and idiosyncrasies of various traditions. However, what truly sets "The Couscous Chronicles" apart is the authenticity of its voice. Downes writes with an intimate knowledge of North African and Middle Eastern culture and cuisine, drawing from personal experiences. His character comes alive, with their struggles, aspirations, and emotions resonating with readers across different backgrounds. Perhaps a weakness of the book is the lack of understanding of how advantaged he was as a male, and how a female could never live a similar life. Indeed, the beloved wife Nadia seems to have accepted and celebrated cooking the wonderful couscous and bearing the beautiful children.
The failure to discuss how patriarchy enabled his career does not diminish "The Couscous Chronicles;" to the contrary, it may be an extension of 'Fatouma's Curse.' The book remains an enchanting tale that blends cross-cultural perspectives, engaging humor, and an authentic voice. In this debut, Mr. Downes skillfully explores what it means to be an American serving your country in un-conventional ways.
One of the book's highlights lies in its engaging humor, cleverly laced throughout the narrative. Downes employs a delightful balance of wit and situational comedy, which not only elicits laughter but also serves to bridge gaps between cultures, encouraging readers to embrace the quirks and idiosyncrasies of various traditions. However, what truly sets "The Couscous Chronicles" apart is the authenticity of its voice. Downes writes with an intimate knowledge of North African and Middle Eastern culture and cuisine, drawing from personal experiences. His character comes alive, with their struggles, aspirations, and emotions resonating with readers across different backgrounds. Perhaps a weakness of the book is the lack of understanding of how advantaged he was as a male, and how a female could never live a similar life. Indeed, the beloved wife Nadia seems to have accepted and celebrated cooking the wonderful couscous and bearing the beautiful children.
The failure to discuss how patriarchy enabled his career does not diminish "The Couscous Chronicles;" to the contrary, it may be an extension of 'Fatouma's Curse.' The book remains an enchanting tale that blends cross-cultural perspectives, engaging humor, and an authentic voice. In this debut, Mr. Downes skillfully explores what it means to be an American serving your country in un-conventional ways.
August 18, 2023
This book will do different things for different people. I decided very quickly I was not going to read this book without pen, paper and access to my phone. No. I wanted to smell and taste everything on these pages to draw me in even closer. It took me twice as long to read, but the journey was worth it. As a child of a Muslim mother & an English father raised by Mexican "grandparents" & who had that same Aunt Mary we all probably have, I felt myself stepping into those yellow shoes, small shops and dirt roads daintily and sometimes afraid and paranoid. People will recognize themselves no matter who they are when they read this book. They will famish for more food tales & fluctuating journeys via one foot in the past & one in the present. I found myself asking the question - did he or didn't he. Will he or won't he? I did that a lot. It was exciting to think this way. It was fun to be a participant in The Couscous Chronicles. I learned we all have different titles assigned to us. Some are deserved and some droll. Titles are given to help identify us to others no matter even if it's not how we see ourselves. Sometimes we are assigned titles that have nothing to do with us at all, but all with the title giver. That we can't help much. And finally the lesson for me is to remain calm to disarm and enjoy your "couscous" no matter even if you're not allowed in the kitchen to help make it just yet. Looking forward to the next book from Azzedine.
January 17, 2024
I am an avid reader of both biographical and travel accounts, and the fact that this book combines both and adds an extraordinary amount of unusual experiences probably is what makes me affirm that its one of the best books I've ever read. Weaving his personal tale of cultural learnings and clashes, of personal joy and miseries while building his career and his personality, Azzedine Downes takes you around the world and especially through the Middle East well beyond the daily headlines of doom that so often overlook the cultural richness and human angles of this region. His blue eyes which cause so many funny situations have seen and recorded stories generously and humorously shared with the reader that are unlikely to be found in any other book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in cross-cultural experiences and in learning how to navigate a life beyond the imaginary borders of political nations.
June 26, 2024
I did enjoy the stories and how the author weaved them together. I love the cover art and the title of the book as it has great alliteration and couscous is so pertinent to the happenings in his life. Sometimes, I did want more from him about his relationship with his wife and how they became closer over time. With him barred from the kitchen relegated to the lounge, how was the barrier crossed from strangers who are physically intimate to a partnership that withstands the stress of multiple moves to different countries and jobs? I wonder too about Yemen and how US support of the Saudis against the Houthi which has ties to Iran will all play out and how many more people will continue to suffer in this conflict.
July 8, 2023
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book isn't quite what I expected. It's not a linear memoir about travel so much as a collection of stories that aren't strung together with a theme beyond travel. There's a lot of anecdotes about cultural experiences or trying something new, but there's not a lot of substance. Downes doesn't really talk about what he thinks about the things he sees or feels, it felt more like we're being told a story and then moving on quickly to the next. I was hoping for something with a bit more to dive in to.
This book isn't quite what I expected. It's not a linear memoir about travel so much as a collection of stories that aren't strung together with a theme beyond travel. There's a lot of anecdotes about cultural experiences or trying something new, but there's not a lot of substance. Downes doesn't really talk about what he thinks about the things he sees or feels, it felt more like we're being told a story and then moving on quickly to the next. I was hoping for something with a bit more to dive in to.
March 23, 2024
A wonderful book about Azzedine’s life journey through time. His humor, curiosity and intelligence got him into many tight situations, but also helped him out of those. His description of his travels (a real time traveler) and the importance of a cup of tea keep the reader engaged. His love of life, family and friends is beautifully written and we all come away with an understanding what a small world it is and how we all are connected. Thank you.
November 9, 2023
Enjoyed this book a lot! Easy and fun read that gave an interesting look into cultures in the Middle East and Africa. Reading about Azzedine’s different adventures was both an amusing and insightful way to learn about Islamic and Moroccan traditions. It also goes to show you all the amazing people out in the world looking to make it a better place. Highly recommend.
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