Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club) by Malika Oufkir (1-Apr-2002) Paperback

Malika Oufkir's childhood was one of luxury and indulgence as the informally adopted daughter of King Muhammed V of Morocco and companion to Princess Amina. That life was gone in an instant when Malika's father, General Oufkir, was implicated in an abortive coup against the regime. The General was summarily shot; Oufkir's wife and six children -- the eldest, 19-year old Malika, and the youngest a baby only three - were rounded up, placed under house arrest and then dispatched without legal recourse to a series of remote desert prisons, each more isolated, squalid and inhospitable than the last.

Their jailers had their instructions: " Subdue the Oufkirs. King's orders".

"Stolen Lives" is Malika's story of 15 years incarceration in some of the worst hell-holes on earth, where the family endured cold, near starvation, vermin, petty jailors, disease and despair. Realizing that they would never be released; that they would die there, forgotten, the now grownup children dug a tunnel, using little more than their bare hands, and four of them escaped. Pursued by police and rebuffed by old friends, they reached Tangier and broke their story to the foreign press. Eventually the authorities were embarrassed into freeing the entire family.

This is a story of ingenuity, perseverance and unbelievable courage in the face of horrific odds. The events described are beyond shocking; it is considered inhumane to confine animals or the worst criminals in such conditions. It is unspeakable that these acts were perpetrated on children, and incredible that they survived.

What kind of regime imprisons children for the sins of their father? "That kind of thing can't happen here", you say. After all, "Liberty" and Freedom" is enshrined in our Constitution/Bill of Rights.

But it can and does, although the difference may be only one of degree.

You need look no further than March 2007, and the case of Kevin, the 9-year old Canadian-born son of Iranian parents. The family (with admittedly stolen documents) were held in a US detention centre, ie., cramped cells in a former medium security Texas prison, for over a month after they were taken off a Canada-bound plane which had been forced to land in Puerto Rico due to an on-board medical emergency. Kevin got the attention of the media & an appalled Canadian public (well, some of us were appalled) when he sent a desperate letter to Canada's Prime Minister, pleading for release.

Canadian Immigration may have been embarrassed by adverse press coverage into offering temporary asylum to the family; the Bush Administration, it seems, is impervious to embarrassment.

I urge you to read "Stolen Lives". This book shines a small light on the abuses that are inflicted routinely on the innocent and helpless in places that we may know only from the six o'clock news. But it might also lead you to reflect, as I did, on recent limits that our governments have placed on human rights (no doubt the King of Morocco was fearful of his safety too), and to ask whether our guarantees of freedom and liberty are worth the paper they are written on.

Meet the Oufkir family. This is the printed condensation of their amazing survival.

Malika Oufikir, aided by writer Michele Fitoussi, recounts the plunge from the heights of an extremely privileged, if secluded, life, mostly lived at the Royal Moroccan court, and a life which later landed herself and her family into gaol, in 1972. A drastic change for everybody -but "drastic" is almost a diminishing adjective for what they went through-, including the two family retainers who had volunteered to share their fate. This was the result of a failed military coup against King Hassan II, led by Malika's father, General Oufkir, who was shot immediately after. Wife Fatima and their six children, aged between 19 (Malika) and 3 and a half (Abdellatif) were sent to prison. Deprivations, humiliations, isolation -even among themselves, they were not allowed to see each other for many years- lack of hygiene, food, water, medicines and contending their space with various rodents, cockroaches, scorpions, in the chilling cold or the most stifling heat, inability to see the light -they were kept in almost total darkness-. Up until the day when, 15 years later, with the resilience of the totally desperate, some of them managed to escape, Malika included. The tale of their evasion is chilling from beginning to end. But it also led to the liberation of the others left behind. Nobody could believe that the Oufkir children had reemerged from nothingness, but they managed to alert the relevant authorities, international press and word went out. They were all subsequently moved to a different location where they were still imprisoned but at least with more dignity -if one may use this term in the circumstances-. This went on for another 4 years. And then... freedom finally knocked at their door. Almost twenty years had gone by.

Forget for a minute about politics, religions, different countries, traditions, beliefs. Sufferings do not bear different classifications depending on whom we are, what we do. To suffer is to suffer, anywhere on this planet, and no one is immune. But. To pay up in such dramatic way for something beyond your control is just inhuman. Malika's voice, plain yet effective, summarizes details which induce cringing sensations.

Some reviewers comment on Malika's self-centeredness, sensing a certain degree of superiority, no doubt deriving, in my opinion, from the imprint of her privileged upbringing, which might have added a somewhat unsympathetic nuance to the story. Others remark that there are inconsistencies. It is true in some instances. From a personal point of view, I myself never quite understood why Malika was adopted into the royal family. It could be Moroccan customs or traditions of which I am not aware, but it was never really explained.
But. Never mind. Let's face the facts, get to the gist. Prisoners for twenty years for something they didn't commit? Children raised into squalor and fear, without an ounce of dignity? Let us keep things into perspective and grant Malika and the others the deserved praise for enduring their adverse fate and unfathomable conditions, never letting go, organizing their great escape against all odds. Without her, who dug and bled, bled and dug for months, relentlessly, this could not have happened, and none of us would have read this book.

A single, soaring voice raising above a twenty-year-long cry in the dark, reminding us that for one who manages to survive, many other faceless, nameless beings perish silently, in many different countries, for many different reasons, their weeping unheard, obliterated by enforced silence.
Read this book and count your blessings.

I have put off reading this book for years because I just do not want to read another depressing story about miscarriage of justice and suppression of the people. I bought it this summer while on vacation since I am in the midst of collecting all of Oprah's past and present selections. I just picked it up two days ago and haven't been able to put it down.

At first, Malika's story seems to be centered on pretty dresses, jewelry and the royal life as an adopted princess. She was adored and never wanted for anything. Eldest daughter of General Outfir and his wife, Malika grew up among royalty. That all came crashing down when her father is assissinated for planning a coup to overthrow King Hassan of Morrocco. Malika and her brothers and sisters and mother spent the next twenty years in jail.

The tone of Malika's voice as she tells her story through the writer changes over the course of the years. She remembers her childhood fondly and sometimes with despair. She remembers her years of prison as a torture but yet a challenge. She recites their heady days of freedom as overwhelming and joyful. She tells of her sadness and bitterness that she has wasted her youth in prison and never knowing love or having a baby and her fears of never knowing anything other than despair and gloom. This is an honest and sometimes brutual look into herself and her years in captivity.

It is not a depressing book. It is a gripping tale of how one woman and her family survive the ordeal and how they re-entered society after twenty years of being out of it. It is an insight to a life that most readers will never be privy to (fortunately!) and it takes tremendous courage to recite those years of sorrow to make it real to us readers.

If you're looking for a book that shows another depth to the unfailing human spirit, this book is it. Malika is an ordinary woman caught up in the whirlwind of a royal society and made to pay for her father's sins. She survived ~~ and with courage and beauty that I'd never imagine possessing.

8-16-04

"Stolen Lives" is Malika Oufkir's personal account of her life as an adopted daughter of the king of Morocco, then later a political prisoner in Morocco as she and her family paid for the sins of their father.
It was interesting to learn about the traditions in Morocco. It's amazing that she was basically just taken away from her parents at a young age in order to become an adopted daughter of the king, since he had a daughter the same as as Malika and the daughter needed a playmate. Malika gives an interesting account of the ways of the court- the traditions, the festivals, the reverence paid to the king and the concubines. As a child, she never had a normal life- she was essentially a prisoner inside the court. I would have liked to have read more vivid and detailed accounts of the court- not gossipy, just from a cultural standpoint. I had a hard time picturing many of the scenes she described due to vagueness.
After her father, a revered military man, was executed after leading a coup against the king, he was executed and the family sent into exile, even though the family had nothing to do with the coup. The conditions were incomprehensibly inhumane. I'm amazed that Malika is able to talk about it so freely, for she even admits she's haunted by the demons. It's difficult to even empathize despite her account, for I've never experienced anything like she went through. It's a story that sounds more like 15th century Europe than 20th century Morocco. Her youngest brother was only 3 when they were imprisoned. She describes how amazed he was with the world when a few of them were able to escape. For instance, he finds something hard on the ground but didn't know what it was- it was simply asphalt.
I was shocked that I had never heard of her story, and I am upset that the US media has not focused more on political prisoners such as Malika and her family. No, I'm not a card-carrying member of Amnesty International or anything, but it is important to bring stories such as Malika's to light. As her story reveals (but without going into too much detail), when the international media learns of their plight, circumstances change.
Malika is very forthright with her opinions and emotions. She describes how her feelings towards the king were so mixed with the love of a daughter towards her father and with the hatred of the wrongly imprisoned towards the captor. Her whole view of the world has changed, and yet a lot of her original opinions never changed.
I recommend this book!

I am very disappointed in some of the reviews that I have read about this book; thank goodness they are the minority. Yes, I agree that it was poorly edited, and the story that was being relayed really could have been told better. It disturbs me that some of the reviewers almost appeared to attack the author. This lady is not an author/writer; she's no Stephen King or Dan Brown. Those authors have the advantage of fiction on their respective sides. Malika Oufkir had no such advantage. She is a survivor who had to actually live the hell that she describes in her book.

Imagine being a political prisoner - your only crime being that you were related to someone who either did something terrible against the country or "allegedly" did so - you are living in conditions of squalor. Your captors want you to die, but don't want to necessarily pull the trigger. You are starved, not allowed outside, not allowed to see or feel the sun, and deprived of the most basic information such as the date and time. You watch your sister pick the rat droppings from pieces of stale bread before "happily" consuming it. You watch your three-year old brother's life as a political prisoner. That's what you lived for most of two decades. Finally, years after being released, you get the courage to tell your story so that the world has a chance to know what you have been through, and that political imprisonment is not the cake walk or country club behind bars that it has been touted through the years. For months, you fight through the tears and the recollections of the circumstances and events that above all, you mostly want to forget. Then, proud that you were able to clear that final hurdle, you read the book reviews on the store only to find that one reader finds the book "difficult to believe" and even "boring." The nerve of some people to sit in their air conditioned homes with their refrigerator and freezer full, to sit at their computer with access to the world, to not be able to look past the flaws of the book to see the real story. If this was fiction, I could see the criticism, but given the storyline and the simple fact that it was fact, I simply cannot justify attacking the author about the quality of the book. Her experience has forever changed her and her reaction to life itself.

Bottom line - this was a riveting story that could have been a riveting book. I give the story itself 5+ stars. I hope Ms. Oufkir and her family are proud that they survived such an incredulous nightmare. I was left wanting more information, but I personally feel fortunate to have received what information I got; Ms. Oufkir didn't have to put her ordeal in writing. The editing gets one star. The editor and publisher failed Ms. Oufkir and should be ashamed that her story was not given the very best attention to detail. It almost seems as though the book was rushed to go to print, and Ms. Oufkir's story suffered the consequences. And that is a real travesty.

This powerful account might have been more acceptable had the trouble been in another time but to think this abuse occurred in recent years is hard to fathom. I read the story via audio tape from Talk Miramax Books. The reader, Edita Brychta, did an excellent job though it was difficult, for a westerner, to follow all the Moroccan names, names that are unfamiliar to our ears. The story is one that should find its way to the screen for it is a story of hope in the face of desperate times. It is a story of power run wild by throwing innocent people into a dirty, desert prison to let them rot away. One might be reminded of the injustice inflicted up Edmund Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas. In this more recent account the captives were held for some 20 years for something to which they were not a party except by family association. It was amazing to appreciate the depths to which people will go to protect their pride. And more amazing to see how, in the most difficult of times, some people find hope. What I found so interesting was that in order to quell the loneliness of the prison, the author of this account developed a story, one with many characters.. and told this continuing story night after night for ten years without the use of paper or pen...all in her mind. Yes, these folks were all eventually free but the road to that freedom was one that would forever mark their lives. It is a book worth reading if for no other reason that it gives insights as to the horrors that exist in the hearts of mankind.

This is a book about the effects of imprisonment on the human soul and the eventual triumph of resistance over oppression. Written in simple journalistic style, the narrative reads like a novel but unfortunately represents a harrowing true account of survival. Malika's life changes in one moment from that of a spoiled rich jet setting adolescent to that of a prisoner who must suffer not only deprival of freedom and basic human comforts and necessities, but also contact with fellow family members imprisoned in isolated adjacent cells. The radical change in lifestyle is all the more stiking since it follows a description of her unique childhood experiences as a princess, an adopted daughter of the monarch raised in the palace. The profound injustice of the situation is especially appalling when one considers their innocence in being held accountable for a political crime allegedly committed by the assassinated father, a General. The victims, his wife and children who range in ages 3 from to 20, are committed to live a life of deprivation and endless imprisonment by a despotic Morrocan monarch as punishment for this coup attempt. The book is a powerful way to experience loss of freedom vicariously and from a safe distance and to understand its immediate and long lasting effect on individuals. The title epitomizes the irrevocable loss of life experiences suffered by its victims who on leaving imprisonment must begin life as middle aged or young adults with a 20 year hiatus. The book is touching and deep. It makes one understand the importance of organizations like Amnesty International in at least attempting to make a difference.

Malika Oufkir's book tells the story of high privilege and bitter starvation.

She was adopted by the Moroccan king and educated as a court princess with all the luxury she could dream off.
She gives us interesting and valuable information about life at the Moroccan court and in the king's harem.
Unfortunately, her father, the second mightiest man in the country, staged a coup to kill the king, most probably to install a military dictatorship and not to put the king's son on the throne, as the author pretends in this book.
When the coup failed, her father was summarily executed and his direct family sent to prison, first in a guarded house and then in isolated cells on a diet of rotten eggs.

Malika Oufkir tells us pregnantly how she and her family could survive in this rather complete isolation: by staying in contact with each other and the outer world (through a hidden radio and more or less human guards), by doing sensible things (educating the younger children, telling stories), but most of all by dreaming of an escape.
The last part of the book reads like a thriller.

This book is a very impressive tale about human survival.

1. "Stolen Lives, Twenty Years in a Desert Jail", is a book about Malika Oufkir, daughter of Morocco's once most powerful General (next only to King) and their family. This lady was adopted by Late King Muhammad V and was brought up as king's daughter in along with his biological daughter, Lalla Mina. This was one adoption, which was respected and continued by King Hassan II who succeeded his father to the throne.

2. Her life continued like a fairy tale from her adoption at the age of five till 1972, when her father fell off from king's favour. After a failed attempt on king's life, her father was arrested and executed.

3. Soon, at the age of 19, she along with her family, consisting of her mother and five siblings were arrested and jailed for 15 years out of which 10 years were in near solitary confinement. Their ordeal reduced a bit after Malika and there of her siblings managed to escape the prison by digging a tunnel and succeeded in bringing their existence and the inhumane treatment mated out to them to the notice of the world through one of the French radio channel. This resulted in their continued confinement, not in jail, but under house arrest. It is after 20 years, whole of her youth, that they were freed from confinement and she could leave Morocco in 1996.

4. It is a personal account and as such tends to over-emphasis few things, as it happens in all personal accounts. But the quality of the narrative is sterling, humane aspect of the story is moving, the treatment that was mated out to this family and the resistance they put up are worth reading. All in all one feels sorry for such sheer waste of beautiful youth of so many young children (six to be precise) for no fault of theirs. Well, one can only say that to some extent democracy is better then all these Monarchy.

5. Some of the things worth mentioning are: -

(a) That such thing happened in our lifetime, in civilized and

(b) modern world, makes you feel ashamed.

(b) The horrible treatment that was given to them is repulsive. Which form of justice it is to punish the family members for so-called crimes of the head of the family.

(c) Another important point stands out that if a family sticks together, they can withstand / overcome all odds / trials. That's how they managed to survive and maintain their sanity.

6. This one book (originally published in French as `La Prisonnier' and co-authored by Michele Fitoussi) is worth reading and cherishing as a icon of the triumph of Human mind and soul over strongest adversary.

Malika Oufkir is the oldest child of assasinated General Oufkir of Morocco. She spent the earliest years of her life as the adopted daughter of King Muhammad V, adopted to be the companion to his own daughter. After the King's death, Malika remained in the royal palace under King Hassan II, but as a teenager, ached to be reunited with her true family and finally left the palace. Not long after, her father, the General, was involved in a coup to overthrough the King and was killed for his treason. Malkia, her mother, and the rest of her siblings along with two family friends were then jailed for the next twenty years as political prisoners - their only crime? Being the family of the General.

For the next twenty years, the Oufkir family was left to die in desert jails provided with little to no contact with the outside world, and sparce food, most of which was spoiled and rotten. They remained close to each other inventing ways to mentally survive captivity. This novel details the most inhumane forms of imprisonment, and leads up to their daring escape and ultimate freedom.

No one can fail to be moved by the horrendous experience the Oufkir's suffered. This narrative exposes the unfathomable treatment that they, and undoubtedly other political prisoners, suffered at the hands of King Hassan II. What is particularly upsetting is that these conditions existed in recent years - not long long ago in ancient times where levels of humanity might not be assumed. But they were not given their freedom until 1991. It is outrageous to discover that Moroccan citizens endured this torture in the 20th Century and that still today, many are among the "disappeared." Unfortunately, where this book fails is the tone that it takes in conveying the story. The writing is very matter of fact, devoid of emotion, and does not do justice to the underlying story. The story turns the pages, not the writing. At times it borders on bland.

I recommend this book for the tale that it tells, not the manner in which it is told. The Oufkir story deserves widespread attention and empathy, it is unfortunate that it falls somewhat short in it's telling here.

What Malika Oufkir and her family went through is horrifying, unjust, barbaric, and it is almost difficult to believe that any one of them survived to tell the tale. But that she is able to describe it so hauntingly and even beautifully - to convey the hopelessness and hope, the physical changes, the emotional torments, the hunger and deprivation, the fear and courage - that they all endured during 20 years in prison helps give their story more power and allow for a glimpse into an unimaginable existence.
Malika Oufkir's father was a powerful military man in Morocco, so much so that he was close to the king and even sent Malika to grow up with the princess in the palace for much of her childhood. His involvement in a bloody and unsuccessful coup led to his death and the imprisonment of his family for 20 years - Malika's mother, her five siblings and some servants - in increasingly harsh conditions until their escape and eventual release. For Malika, a young woman with dreams of a film career and a life of extravagance - clothes, travel, servants - the change was a dramatic one, while for some of her younger siblings basically grew up in the prison. At first, the family is able to bring their fine clothes and books with them, but by the time of their final move, they are starving, suicidal and almost broken in spirit.
The most fascinating aspects of the book for me were the ways in which the family copes, the ingenuity they use to communicate, survive and escape, and how they had to adjust upon returning to civilization after their escape and release. Malika has a lot of bitterness, obviously, toward the royal family but also toward those who deserted the family once they were arrested - given the political climate, it does seem perfectly understandable why people would shy away but then again so,I suppose, does the family's sense of betrayal. The book's power is diluted somewhat by being filtered through Malika's perspective, colored as it is by her emotions such as the belief that a higher power ensured their survival. Malika admits to growing up incredibly spoiled with a sense of entitlement; unfortunately, her consciousness of the wrongs her family suffers does not seem to be applied to others, such as slaves, servants or other political prisoners.
Yet Malika's somewhat conflicting traits serve to underscore the strangeness and complexity of her life and situation, going from such extreme luxury and favor to such unbelievable deprivation. In many ways, locked away from the world as a young woman, she seems to have remained in late adolescence in some fashion. In conjunction with her bizarre experiences, this gives Malika a unique voice for what is in many ways a heart-breaking but triumphant story, one that should not be missed.

When Oprah first choose this book for her book club I didn't think I would like this but after hearing so many raves and taking a closer look at the description I decided to read this. I am still in awe of how this family survived this terrible ordeal and I couldn't put this book down until I found out what would happen next.
This book is about the family of General Oufkir in Morocco and is being told by his eldest daughter Malika. Malika was raised in the palace and adopted by King Mohammed as a playmate for Princess Lalla Mina. King Mohammed died suddenly and his son King Hasan became Malika's adopted father. She left the palace to return to her family when she was 17 and by the time she was 19 she was imprisoned along with the rest of her family because her father had staged an unsuccessful coup. We learn of the unbelievable horrendous conditions these people had to live with, they had very little food and the conditions were not sanitary. They were only given Tide to wash up with and had to use salt as toothpaste. Their cells were infested with all kinds of insects, mice and rats but somehow this family found the will to survive it all.
This is a story of survival and courage which will totally captivate you. This book is a fast read because its the type of book that made me stay up late to finish while I was yawning at my desk in the morning. I highly recommend reading this book.

Malika Oufkir tells us the powerful and tragic story of her life in the book Stolen Lives. She begins the story describing her life as a princess after being adopted by the king of Morocco. She lived an almost unreal life of luxury while at court. The opulence Malika describes is comparable to the time of Marie Antoinette. From the resplendent court, her life is irrevocably altered when her father fails in an assassination attempt and her entire family is placed in prison including her three year old brother.
The family's story is extraordinary. Their triumph of spirit is remarkable considering the duration and horrors which they suffered. We see the importance of unity and belief of oneself and each other. We see incredible love and sacrifice. But we also see how imprisonment can degrade the human spirit and affect the psyche.
We learn in the preface of the book, how Malika came to hire Michele Fitoussi as the co-author of her book. Throughout the book, the reader cannot help but wonder why. It is a shame that such an interesting and compelling story was so poorly written. The author fails terribly in her attempt to describe herself as a sympathetic person prior to her imprisonment. The continual jumping back and forth in time is confusing and annoying to a reader. I also wondered if perhaps the translation was poor, because of the use of certain words and general lack of eloquence from a person who entertained her family with her stories in their darkest hour.
Another book which may interest readers who liked and appreciated Stolen Lives is In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Readers who appreciate stories about the triumph of the human spirit will enjoy Stolen Lives.

Malika Oufkir is a household name among those who watch Oprah Winfrey's show. "Stolen Lives," the story of the Oufkir family's imprisonment by the government of Morocco, was chosen as an Oprah Book Club selection and it is now a best-seller. Malika Oufkir's story is a fairy tale in reverse. She started life as a pampered princess. The King of Morocco took her into his care at the age of five, and she was brought up as a spoiled young lady, with every luxury at her fingertips. In 1972, everything changed. Oufkir's father, a trusted and powerful aide of the King, was arrested and executed after an attempted coup. In retaliation for her father's act of treachery, Malika, along with her five siblings and her mother, were imprisoned by the king for twenty years.
Oufkir wrote this book, which details her life before, during and after her family's imprisonment, with the help of a Tunisian writer named Michele Fitoussi. The writing is not particularly strong. "Stolen Lives" is often disjoined and repetitious and the characterizations are shallow. Although it is under three hundred pages, the tepid writing makes it seem longer, and the narrative drags at times. Oufkir's messages are hammered home repeatedly. She rightly emphasizes that we should appreciate the "free" things in life, such as our liberty, our ability to see a sunrise, and the love of our family. Oufkir also strongly criticizes the repressive Moroccan regime, whose human rights abuses are similar to those of other repressive regimes in many parts of the world. Malika attributes her family's miraculous survival under often squalid conditions to divine intervention as well as to her family's ingenuity, love and tenacious desire to live. The best parts of "Stolen Lives" are Malika's descriptions of how her family improvised while under extreme duress. They rigged up a primitive communications system when they were in solitary confinement, they constructed toys out of scraps for Malika's little brother, and they even put on theatricals to amuse themselves. Although "Stolen Lives" is often depressing and it is inelegantly written, this book demonstrates the unshakable will of human beings to survive under the most horrendous conditions.

"Stolen Lives" is about the horror one family is forced to endure in Morocco when they are imprisoned for 20 years and starved nearly to death after their father tries to kill the King. Malika, along with her mother and brothers and sisters live in conditions that seem almost too awful to be real. Her youngest brother is only 3 years old when imprisoned, and after 20 years, when they are released, he knows nothing of the world. Concrete ground startles him, as all he knows is the dirt floor of his small prison cell that had to be his playground.
This is an amazing story of the survival of the human spirit. If you compare your own life to the lives of this family, you will never again be able to judge your life in the same way. You will have to think about what is really important in life and what is the fluff that is just taking up precious time while you are living the one life we all get.
This book is as gratifying as it is horrifying. It leaves you with many questions you'd personally like to ask Malika Oufkir, the woman the story is based on.
I would recommend this book highly. For entertainment, but more importantly, for inspiration.

Stolen Lives chronicles the life of the Oufkir family, told by Malika Oufkir. Malika's father, General Oufkir, was the inside man to the King of Morocco, Hassan II. But for reasons never revealed in the book, General Oufkir attempts a coup and ends up executed. The King places the family under house arrest and eventually they are taken off to a remote prison in the most appalling of conditions.
Malika does a wonderful job of describing their ordeal and how the family made it through these terrible times. I felt like I was right there in the dirty cell with them. I felt for all of the family and Malika's storytelling it was made this book. However there were some missing pieces to the puzzle. First of all, it is never made known as to why the General (Oufkir) would attempt to overthrow the government. There is no information on the political system of Morocco, so I am just left confused as to why the General did it, considering his families outcome. Also, once the Oufkirs escape from Bir-Jdyd, there seems to be a lapse in time once they are at the house with the garden. Malika doesn't describe what happens in those years, it just seems like there was alot of the same things happening. Maybe that is the case, but I just didn't feel like there was a significant synopsis from the house arrest to their final release years later.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to others. I was shocked to find that a family was actually forced to endure the punishment of their father and couldn't believe something like this could happen in this day and age. It goes to show you anything is possible when dealing with other human beings. That being the negative side of the coin, the positive side is the human spirit that does eventually triumph. I am very happy that the Oufkir family is finally free.

Stolen Lives is a masterpiece of a tragic variety. It highlights the fall and rebirth of a powerful Moroccan family under the dictator King Hassan II. This well-executed voyage though lives tragically stolen from innocent people is a harrowing dose of reality. This work showcases the feeling of imprisonment in a way that I have never experienced before. This book disturbingly shows the atrocity of living under a dictator and suffering his selfish wrath. This family, devastatingly has everything torn from them, for the sins of their patriarch. However, they manage to retain strength and courage as a family. It is beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. The strength of family and the will to be free are poignant in this remarkable read. This book is especially wonderful for younger readers who have not experienced any semblance of true tragedy in their lives. It gives a look into the real and unsheltered world that others have survived.

I read this book for bookclub after hearing from many people how "wonderful" and "inspiring" it was. Now after just having finished it and knowing that I would be discussing it tonight, I was really concerned. What was wrong with me that the book annoyed me and seemed to me to be one of the most poorly written books I've ever managed to finish. It contained constant contradictions that caused me to begin to question the truth of everything else that was said. The complete disregard Malika showed for the plight of the two retainers who joined her family in prison leads me to see her as a selfish, self-entitled woman. And, did you know that she was the hero of everything? Her family wouldn't have survived without her - according to her. The book might have been better with a more skillful writer, but as it is, it doesn't measure up to the dramatic subject matter. I'm glad I read the reviews here to see that, at least I'm not the only one who feels this way.

It is true that it is difficult to empathize with Malika as one might empathize with Nelson Mandela. As you've read, she was the daughter of one of King Muhammed V's most trusted generals. As such she was raised as a royal princess under his successor, King Hassan II. This immediately reminded me of the story of Moses and Pharoah from Exodus. She is the primary playmate of the King's daughter and lives a life of luxury.

However, justice and punishment are dealt with very differently in this part of the world, and after Malika's father leads an unsuccessful coup/assassination attempt on King Hassan II, she and her family are imprisoned. It is difficult again to empathize - although they knew nothing of the coup, would each of us trust them if we were the target? They complain of being deprived of luxuries which most of us can only dream about.

As they eventually are moved to barracks which are terribly conditioned, totally dark, and are basically marooned there, it becomes obvious to them they are to die there. Despite an escape and recapture, five years later they are freed. Malika achieves ultimate redemption when she is freed, and now lives in France, which had a colony in Morocco for some time.

The parallel with Exodus is not perfect, to be sure. However, the 'princess' once expelled, finds herself in her journey through a considerably harsher wilderness and eventually does succeed, along with her family, in reaching their goal of freedom.

This book will make you think. Most interestingly, you will realize after noticing that you didn't empathize as much with them as others in their situation, that you may think differently about yourself! After all, does anyone deserve that type of treatment?

As you read this book and through periodic reality checks remember that it is true, you will realize that man's inhumanity to man has no end. You will also realize, as I believe Oprah did, that the spirit can overcome virtually anything.

This book is not that expensive and I would recommend anyone with even a passing interest read it. It will be worth your while.

Stolen Lives � Twenty Years in a Desert Jail is an important book. This is a compelling true story. It outlines the life of Malika Oufkir, daughter of Moroccan general Oufkir.
Malika Oufkir has lead a unique life. Her story does not begin with imprisonment. It begins with being taken from her parents at age five to live in the palace. She becomes the adopted daughter of the ruling monarch, Muhammad V of Morocco. Although it is never fully explained, it appears that Malika is brought to the palace to be the companion for the king�s daughter. She is distraught; her parents acquiesce. It is the first lesson in the power of the monarchy. Muhammad V dies and is replaced by his son Hassan II. You might expect Malika to be returned home. But no, Hassan might be offended if the it appears that the Oufkir family thinks less of him than of his father. And so, Malika stays in the palace. But this is just the beginning.
Eventually, Malika returns to her family as a young adult. Later General Oufkir, Malika�s father, who is also a high placed advisor to the king, leads a coup d�etat. He is killed. Now the family�s story of imprisonment begins.
The King has the family removed from Rabat by police. Throughout the story, the police, and army are used to keep the family imprisoned. Some knew the general and were sympathetic to the family. Others had lost family in the coup d�etat and were filled with hatred. The conditions for the family were continually reduced, until they were put in solitary confinement for seven years. The treatment of the Oufkir family reads like a Nazi concentration camp story, with brutal guards, arbitrary punishments, malnutrition, and the loss of humanity. Remember that their crime was being the family of General Oufkir. The youngest child at the time of their arrest was three!
There is an escape that reads like fiction. The country is put on high alert while the police search for the four Oufkir children who managed to dig a tunnel to escape. It is only through contact with the French press and the outside world that they are finally saved. Even then it takes seven more years (with the family under house arrest) before they are finally allowed to leave the country.
I find that I agree with most of the negative reviews. The book is poorly written, and poorly edited. There are contradictions, and incomplete explanations. It is confusing. It was originally published in France and this book is a translation from French. These shortcomings are annoying. But this is more than a story of a family who has been through a rough time. It is a chronicle of human rights violations that occurred in the last quarter of the 20th century. It is a story of people who �disappeared� and lived to tell about it. This was worth a better effort by the co-author, who is supposed to be a professional writer, and the editor, who should have done a better job. Even with these serious shortcomings, this is an important story, and an important book. It is recommended.

When I think about certain parts of Malika Oufkir's book, "Stolen Lives," I still cringe. I can still cry. Such vivid details about a life lived in subhuman conditions and yet a life able to manage despite the hardships.
How much of life's hardships and low points can one, or in this case nine, human beings take before they decide to shut their eyes and call upon death to release them from their miserable existence? How ugly and awful that this story -- hard, cruel and unforgiving -- had to be true. Even more awful is that a man once existed who felt it was his God-given right to torture whom he pleased. It is disgusting -- nearly bordering on demented -- that in the 20th century, these shameful and horrific crimes were allowed to exist against a young mother, her six children and two relatives, for 20 years and that very little, if anything at all, was done to right the wrongs.
In "Stolen Lives" you will see what being at the depths of despiar REALLY means and you will suddenly count your blessings, look around you at your abundance of simple riches and pray that you will never experience what Ms. Oukir and her family did.
For every person who thought their life couldn't get any worse - I ask you to read this book.

Despite a few problems with the English translation (odd use of idioms, out-of-date expressions), and despite some 'lacunae', holes in the story which could have been filled in by interesting details, this book ends up being a very good read. The author, Malika, age 18, is taken, in the 1970s, with her mother, four younger siblings and two other women friends, political prisoners in Morocco, and held in unconscionable prison conditions for fifteen, finally twenty years, ending finally during the '90s. This is unfathomable. They never know if anyone remembers them or cares. Yet these childen (the youngest is 3 at the start) together, by telling themselves stories, acting out plays, teaching each other what they know, passing on sustaining bits of news from a small hidden radio when they were put eventually into separate cells, making use of found herbs and weeds for sandwich fillers, ingeniously creating food dishes that are palatable with ingredients they are given that had often gone bad, treating their illnesses and wounds themselves, Malika creating and nightly telling a long, many-peopled story of kings and knights and intrigues, keep themselves alive. --Despite a temporary group despair, once, in which they all decide to commit suicide, and fail. Having faced death, in poor health and weakened, putting aside their fears of punishment, together they decide to live and strategize so cleverly they build a tunnel at night, each early morning hauling out earth and concealing it, painstakingly covering up and plastering the signs of it (ingeniously with plaster made of Tide and the bits of plaster the guards left to seal up the rats' holes which they kept soaked so it wouldn't harden) so the guards won't find it on their daily rounds, and four of them escape for a few days. Formally jet-setting, party-going aristocrats, after their 15 years away from civilization, the four find themselves in a world they barely recognize (television in color?!) and which is shockingly noisy, bright and complicated; when they attempt to get help, they find themselves pariahs; for the most part, old friends are afraid of having anything to do with them; yet they do get the news of their plight to the outside world and hire a lawyer before being recaptured. (Though 'forgotten', they were already famous; the author had been brought up by the king from age 5 to 16 and treated as a Moroccan princess--and therefore, a different kind of prisoner; their father, who was killed in a failed coup, had been the second most powerful man in Morocco.) Due to the resulting publicity, the King allows the rest out with them but only to retain them all for five years more under house arrest -- finally allowing them as much food as they want, and other things we consider necessities,like real beds and bathrooms and the absence of all kinds of vermin in the living quarters, but still guarded and not free. (Their health has never recovered.) -- Where were their friends during this time and why didn't they help free them? Yet even their grandfather could not find them or send them any more books or letters after the first ten years -- no one knew where they were -- he believed rumors that certain ones of them were dead. And Moroccans, living in a repressive monarchy, dared not speak out. Yet, this real story highlights the lack of courage of very many unincarcerated people everywhere, when it comes to standing up for and risking something in the face of injustice -- it was widely known that this family had been incarcerated; people, on the whole, it seems, just want to be left alone to live their own lives. As a trauma therapist, and having read the statements of the co-writer/interviewer, who says that she pushed the author very hard to remember (the excruciating, frightening details), to the point sometimes of exhausting her, the lacunae are understandable -- it is twenty unbroken years of horror to remember, and the main facts get across. Though I still had so many questions, the rest of the story is detailed enough to have kept my interest thoroughly. Some of the relationships of the prisoners to each other are described, their teamwork and dependency on each other, how the usual modesty or separation of child to parent is erased and all have become equal by the end and say pretty much anything to each other; albeit through a complicated, ingenious makeshift telephone system made up of wires and metal bedstead legs which they pass under their walls into the next cells (and which they dismantle and hide between their legs every morning so the guards won't find it. And what of the youngest, the boy who went into jail at age three? Can we imagine the development of this child who can't remember school, friendships, fresh air, running, playing large, physical games? --The others taught him to read and told him stories in prison, even creating a 'football' out of old rags and teaching him the rules of the game and the current players from the radio, but it seems they may have neglected explanations of a cultural/political nature and protected him a bit too much (his sister is shocked to realize when, as new escapees, she sees his reactions in the busy, complicated, strange new world, 'he is an enfant sauvage!'.) This question also arises: what of hundreds and thousands of political prisoners who are held all over the world for years in squalid conditions and die in prison (as these were meant to do) and are forgotten and have no means to escape? What I am left with most profoundly after finishing this story is the utter daily, endless ingenuity put forth by each of these courageous people given virtually no encouragement from anyone but themselves.

A remarkable memoir written by the daughter of a Moroccan general who was foiled in an attempted takeover of King Hassan II. In retaliation the King imprisoned General Oufkir’s wife and their 6 children for 20 years.
Malika tells her story with all the intensity of a doomed soul that has been blessed by a second chance. Her life in prison had become a black hole of suffering and torment, neglected and half starved, she lived with the threat of rats, scorpions, diptheria, typhoid and succumbed to a case of peritonitis that left her in a coma fighting for her very life without medical intervention. She started to believe she and her family were indeed protected by a mysterious presence.
In their fourteenth year of imprisonment an escape plan is formulated that leads the reader to share in the intense joy and trepidation that the author must have felt, a light loomed at the end of the black tunnel that had become her life.
This is the first non-fiction Oprah selection, and one of her best choices ever. It makes a statement about human rights that will never be forgotten by the reader. Hopefully it will reach out to the four corners of the globe and make a difference in the lives of others. I am awed and amazed by the coping strategies and psychological triumph of the human spirit over what appears to be such a hopeless situation. Much happiness to you Malika Oufkir, you have certainly earned it...

This story definitely will keep you reading on and on into the night. I was turning the pages trying to find out what would happen in the end.
The first of the book is bittersweet, but has many moments of joy. The second half, however, is a terrible account of incarceration in some of the worst conditions possible.
I really liked this book because the story telling kept my interest. The main character of the novel is my only complaint. I know this is her story, but sometimes she seemed like she was telling a story of how she saved her family almost totally by herself. This part seemed a bit contrived since there was eight of them in jail. I think another reviewer said they would have liked to hear more about the siblings and their contributions. I think this is what I might have wanted as well, but seeing this was Malika's telling of the story, I assume she was answering for herself and what she was thinking.
Aside from the fact, I found the story very Malika centered at times although there were eight in jail, I can definitely recommend it.

If this moving book does nothing other than make readers more aware of the fate of political prisoners in nations such as Morocco, where human rights are regularly abused, then Oufkir has done her job very well.
I saw Malika Oufkir on several talk shows and knew I had to read her story of survival, which was first published in France two years ago as "The Prisoner". She spoke with great calm and dignity, and with very little anger or rancor towards those who were responsible for the loss of twenty years of her life. She says that having spent most of her life as an onlooker, there is a "sheet of glass" between herself and the outside world." I think this explains her calm demeanor.
Malika was a happy-go-lucky 19 year old party girl in Morocco, having lived in the palace as the "adopted" companion of the king's daughter. Suddenly she, her mother, a cousin, a former nurse, and her five younger brothers and sisters were imprisoned because of her father's actions. Their once-elegant world shrank ---the next 20 years were spent in several prison sites in southern Morocco where they were basically forgotten. They were the "disappeared".
General Oufkir, the power-hungry head of Morocco's notorious security forces, had operated with King Hassan's knowledge for many years. When he finally turned on the king, he was caught and executed. His family members were considered "criminals by descent" and found themselves at the mercy of their jailers, of disease and vermin, and of hunger.
Even after they managed to escape and appealed to the media (after 15 years of imprisonment), the Oufkirs were held under house arrest for four more years, then denied passports for another five years.
This is a story that should be read widely and discussed at length. How these people survived (some more intact than others) is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. How they got through each day, how Malika taught the younger children, how they bargained for survival.....the trials they endured were and are unconscionable in the civilized world.
Although her book is poignant and heart-rending, it is never hysterical or melodramatic. It should embarrass the Moroccan government, but that is not why Malika wrote it. She says that "vengeance would be meaningless in our case. Is there anything that can give back your childhood, your youth, your life?"

The treatment of the Oufkir family was horrendous, awful, inexcusable. No one denies that. But this account of their ordeal missed the opportunity to make their pain known to the world.
Never did I feel the suffering come through the pages of the book. Never did I feel what it was like to be there. The pain must have been dreadful, but the shallowness of the presentation made it very forgettable.
I don't know if this presence was missing because the events were dictated to the writer, and therefore lost in the second person, or if they were lost because Malika Oufkir didn't tell the story in her native language. The pain that came through most clearly was the pain the family felt *after* their jail release, during the time of house arrest. I felt their pain at having missed out on so many years of their lives, but not at the great injustices meted out to them.
I'm afraid that with such shallow accounts of their imprisonment, many people will not feel a strong motivation to speak out for human rights abuses, such as theirs.

Yes, it could have been written, and yes, she lived a life of privledge in her formative years, but the fact remains this was NOT of her choosing. To live through this incredible ordeal and survive it is awe inspiring. It is so hard to imagine these things happening in our lifetime; but they do. The fact that Malika Oufkir had the courage and insight to write about what she and her family endured pays homage to the human spirit. I think about this family all the time and wish them peace. The book moves slowly in the beginning, but is a real page-turner after the story gets started. I highly recommend this book to those who love stories of the strength of the human spirit. God bless the family!!

A girl from a privileged class is adopted - against her will and that of her family - by the royal house and spends years imprisoned along with her natural family after her father tries to kill the royal leader. Her journey through various prison sites is riveting.

The book is another example of how different the rest of the world is from our small Western world. It is important to remember that the accident of birth can place you anywhere.

Oufkir's tale of tragedy and horror takes the reader from privilege to the bottom of despair to escape and emergence into another life and time. A sad tale for sure. Good reading for anyone who is interested in different cultures. Her descriptions of the landscapes and prison environments are excellent.

Stolen Lives chronicals the life and imprisonment of the Oufkir family. Malika, the eldest child, details the horror that she and her family endured for twenty years.
The Oufkir's were a prominant Moroccan family, they had ties to royalty and were known in many political arena's. When Malika's father, Muhammad Oufkir, is implicated in an attempt to murder the king, lives forever changed.
This was heart-wrenching book to read. It is difficult to believe that this level of autrocity could occur in our modern times. The Oufkir's endured twenty years of torture, abuse, and inhumane conditions. The strength and resilency of the Oufkir family and individual character was prevalent throughout.
This is a book that should be shared. It will awaken your emotions, leave you sleepless, and have you questioning why. I applaud Malika Oufkir for sharing her story with the world.

Stolen Lives is by far the most inspirational books I have ever read. It is based on a true story and that's what makes it so amazing, because someone actually went through that hell. Malika Oukfir re-lives her story through this book. Her childhood was actually very luxurious but when her father is found guilty of treason, Malika and her family are imprisoned. Twenty years of their lives were held in numerous jails. Some jails were okay but most of them were horrific to live in, especially the one that caused pure starvation and cruel living arrangements. My heart went out to Malika and her family because throughout the whole process they managed to stick together and fight their way to freedom. I definitely recommend this book if you're interested in a real life story that is inspirational.

An incredible story of the human spirit and its ability to withstand tremendous adversity. Stolen Lives is a nonfiction account of a Moroccan family imprisoned for twenty years after a failed royal coupe orchestrated by the father. The Oufkirs, once prominent members of the Moroccan government and royal court, were banished by the King to a desert prison after he had their father executed. While imprisoned, the family endured horrendous mental, emotional and physical abuse. After fifteen years of desert isolation, the family masterminded the greatest coupe of all when they escaped their captor's jail by digging a tunnel using the most rudimentary of tools (hands, spoon, sardine lid). The chapter detailing the escape was the most well written section of the book. Suspenseful and engaging, the escape read like a superbly crafted fictional piece. Unfortunately the action was real, the characters flesh and bone, their suffering authentic.
Stolen Lives is a testament to the vitality of the human spirit, and the grace of a loving God. It speaks to the love of family and friends and its ability to sustain us at our lowest points. I was overwhelmed by the loyalty expressed by Achoura and Halima. The Oufkirs were forced into exile by the King, Achoura and Halima chose exile in support the family they loved. That's a choice not many would make. I applaud and honor them for their commitment. This story is one that will join many others in the annals of human rights violations. It adds to the collective suffering of the world and should serve as a reminder that injustice anywhere is indeed a threat to justice everywhere. That power in malevolent hands spawns corruption. Hurrah! Hurrah! to the Oufkirs! May your courage and strength be contagious.

This book is Stupendous!
It is incredibly to me how this could have transpired in modern times... in my lifetime. My path could easily have crossed hers in Morocoo, as I considered going there as a college student in southern Spain. I realize now that I'd have looked upon her with scorn and I am ashamed for that now.
I never believed in Amnesty International and now I too have reconsidered that perspective. I always thought that if people are in jail, there is a good reason for it. But here you see that a 3 year old boy is jailed for 18 years and there is no excuse for that.
Even though this is a horific story being told, it left me uplifted. I can only believe that the author is still deeply in shock to be able to have told this story and have left out what must be some very gruesome details.
I've seen her on 60 minutes and on Oprah and I am in awe. Malika, you are truly a woman of courage. I salute you and hope that one day you will be whole.

Beautiful, poignant, heart-warming, and touching. This is a story of survival, of determination, love, respect, and a strength of will in testing one's abilities. Malika takes you into her world, being vulnerable, soft and yet with such strength. The daughter of General Oufkir, she and her siblings suffer the consequneces that were given because of her father's attempt to assasinate the King. From a small country of Morrocco, with fragility, she tells of her love for her country, her King, her family, and her life before and her life after as she struggles to keep her and her family safe from enduring twenty years in a desert prison. It is a truly touching story. I recommend this book to anyone who is inspired by true stories, survival, and most especially, those who love to read about the strength and bond between a family and their country. It's not about the bitterness of suffering but through one woman, a story that gave her a voice, a strength of character and will. Enjoy.

After reading STOLEN LIVES, I was able to grasp (as much as is possible) what it must have been like for Oufkir and her family to live in the horrific prison conditions they did, but I wasn't able to grasp how long "20 years" of captivity is. So, I went back to the book. It's 294 pages long, which is approximately 10,800 lines of text (if every page is full). If I divide the text into .7 line segments and read one segment a day, it will take me 7300 days, or 20 years, to read the whole book. That is an excruciatingly long time, longer than I'd care to imagine.

An unbelievable story of a horrible experience, poorly written - very amateurish, too many adjectives, too many clichés. I do mean unbelievable. Too many contradictions, unbelievable events. Malika thinks way too well of herself.

Wow! If you were feeling sorry for yourself before you started this book, your life is probably looking charmed by the time you finish it.
This is the story of a young Morrocan girl taken from her family at the age of 5 to be the companion of the princess. Raised lovingly by the King and sheltered by the luxuries of the royal palace, she still longed for her own family.
Reunited with them at the age of seventeen, she enjoyed two years of happiness before her life would change forever. Her real father, a high ranking military official is killed after a failed attempt to assasinate the King. Malika, along with her mother and younger siblings, is immediately imprisoned. Living conditions quickly deteriorate, as does the family's health.
The horror that the Oufkir family endured for 20 years is beyond belief.
Imagine eating nothing but moldy carrots & chickpeas, and making a rare treat of "french toast" with rotten eggs and moldy bread.
Imagine sleeping on a filthy cot with the corpses of rotting mice inside your mattress.
Imagine helplessly watching as your mother and siblings physically deteriorate to within inches of their lives.
There you have just a sample of what this incrediby courageous family experienced. In their struggle to survive, they emerge with such an appreciation of the simple things in life.
You will seriously reevaluate your priorities after reading their story.
Their daring escape will leave you holding your breath with anxiety and worry for their safety.
Trapped between loyalty for her real father, and remembering her affection for the King who imprisoned her, Malika's spirit and determination will amaze you. My only criticism of the book is that I wish it ended less abruptly. After dreaming of freedom for so long, I would have liked to hear more about the family's experiences when they were released.
A thrilling and emotional page-turner, made all the more compelling because it is a true story!

FIrst of all, those bitching about the writing, do keep in mind that the story is translated from French to English. Perhaps they just chose the wrong translator. While the writing certainly isn't top-notch, this is a memoir- a genre that rarely sees excellent writing.
The story is interesting. Reading about the palace life was insightful (assuming it was fairly accurate) and it creates an excellent contrast to the dreary life she lived in exile with her family.
Even though the author and her family managed to survive and seem to have strong will-power, I still did not like the author. She comes across as a self-centered woman who has a very high opinion of herself. Unfortunately that makes me wonder how accuarte her story really is. While it certainly is unjust to be imprisioned for someone else's actions, I wonder how bad her plight really was.

...I wish it were written better. This is an incrediable story which shows what happens when unaccountable lunkheads get to run a country. The Oufkir family overcame so much to escape from their unfair imprisonment, it truly is an amazing story. But, someone that went through such misery in their lifetime deserves a better editor. The whole first two-thirds of the book breaks the first rule of writing: "show, don't tell". I wanted some dialogue, some insight into the other people in her life, some wrapping up of loose ends. I wanted to know more about the politics of the coup. There's one sentance in the book about how she was (nearly?) engaged?! It would have been nice to know a little more about this huge piece of information. I could go on and on. Still worth reading, all political prisoners should write books that become best sellers.

This is a story of unbelievable punishment administered by the powerful King and Queen of Morocco against a young family (including children) written by courageous escapee, Malika Oufkir. The book highlights the tragedies that can occur when an outmoded, archaic, leadership structure rejects modern principles like fair trials, justice, or morality.
In the beginning of the book, the lonely Princess Lalla Mina needs a companion, so the King plucks the author from her family, and presents her as a "gift" to the Royal Princess. The author then describes her pampered lifestyle of decadence and excess while living in the Royal Palaces of Morocco. Through the author's eyes, we explore the world of a Royal girl, where the Princess values horses more than people. We are taken to see harems, where Queens and concubines bathe naked for the King. The girls were educated by a private German tutor, followed later by private French schools. This puzzled us: doesn't Morocco have a school system?
After the author's father, General Oufkir, fails in plotting a coup d'etat, the Oufkir family become outcasts and prisoners of the state. For twenty years, the prisoners are cooped up in desert jail cells riddled with diseased rat packs, slithering snakes, venomous spiders, and hungry scorpions. The book is simply written, without fanfare or extravagant language, but cuts to the true, often horrifying facts: Malika's innocent little brother was jailed at age three, then released at aged twenty-three.
After the heroic family escapes by digging an underground tunnel, Royal Princess Lalla Mina and Prince Sidi Mohammed try to befriend Malika Oufkir, in a "just like 'ole times" fashion. This made us wonder: If the Royals were such good buddies, why didn't they rescue Malika Oufkir from jail when she needed their friendship the most? These Royals certainly had the power and influence to have had them released from prison...AT ONCE!
As soon as Ms. Oufkir succeeds in her dramatic escape, she hires a French attorney to defend her human rights. That was a smart thing to do but, this made us wonder: are there no Moroccan lawyers that can be trusted? At this point, Malika forsakes her Muslim religion and thinks about becoming a Catholic.
We felt completely heartbroken after finishing this tragic story. The outmoded Royal Family who represent the important nation of Morocco, have surely disgraced their country and it's people.

2.5
What happened to Malika Oufkir and her family was absolutely horrendous. It's difficult for most 21st century minds to comprehend imprisoning families for the sins of the father (literally) and the 'prison' conditions described in the book. And this all happened a couple decades ago! The way this family persevered and survived, both physically and mentally, is uplifting. The stories that Malika would invent and tell her family comes to mind.

Unfortunately, this book was not that well-written. In fact, I was bored several times during the long chapters leading up to the imprisonment. I think this story deserved much better.

I finished this book in two evenings, whereas it took me so many weeks to wade through Ahab's wife (see review posted 6/30/01). And it certainly holds firm to the "truth is stranger than fiction" adage. It is almost inconceivable that these kind of sadistic, politically motivated crimes against humanity are going on daily in our world and that is certainly an issue that needs more attention.
Although I was riveted, repulsed and astounded that anyone would be able to survive conditions of such deprivation for such a duration, I wanted more. I could've easily read another 150-200 pages.
I do not feel the book was particularly well written and long periods of time were glossed over: for example, the last three years of their captivity was pared down into a few pages and the level of demoralization was not extensively elaborated on. Three more years is a lot of time, even though their conditions had improved to livable. I did get the sense that Malika was numb to all that she had endured or perhaps just sick of reliving it. Certainly the most exciting section was their escape and recapture and there was no way I could put the book down during all of that. That is one of the factors I feel constitutes a good read and why I have given this book a fairly high rating.
However, I want to know more about how they all have reconstructed their lives to live in some semblence of normalcy after such an ordeal. I want to know if Raouf ever got his teeth fixed and how they all restored their health. What's King Hassan II up to these days? I want to know more about Malika's life today, her days in Paris, her marriage to Eric. Perhaps that also is a sign of a good book to me....tell me more, don't leave me here. How can I help so this kind of thing can't happen to anyone else? This book had a chance to motivate many of us to action but I do feel it fell a little flat at the end.

The eldest daughter of General Oufkir, Malika Oufkir, was born into a world of luxury and expensive clothing. The king of Morocco adopted her at age five, where she was to be raised with his daughter, the princess. Here she also lived in a luxurious palace, ate the finest foods and played with the best toys. It was only a few years later that her father was to participate in an attempt to assassinate the King and in result was captured and executed. The Oufkir family was also punished. The mother and five children, including Malika, were sent to an abandoned fort and desert prison to be imprisoned for twenty years. The only way her family was to survive was by will power, which is what they did. The descriptions of their lives in the confining walls of an almost unimaginable prison cell were breathtaking. For almost a decade they did not feel sunlight or taste any food that was appropriate to eat. At the mere age of three, the youngest brother of the Oufkir family tried to commit suicide. Malika's story was an unforgettable account of a woman who had a will to live her life and see her family do so as well. One can only imagine how millions of others' lives have been stolen and their stories not told. Stolen Lives is an attempt to do just that, Malika's stolen life should be read by all.

For Malika Oufkir, childhood was not about Popsicle stands and late games of tag. Instead Malika was introduced to the politics in which she was a victim of. At the
young age of five, Malika was adopted by King Muhammad V. Though her true family
was competent in her care, the King gets what the King wants. For years Malika lived in
the splendor and disrespect of the palace. She was given material goods to her hearts
desire, yet she could never find the love that she needed. Nor did she understand why her
previous family would so easily give her up.
This irony in her life was subsided by the attempted assassination of the King. Her
father, General Oufkir (A well respected, and highly successful military man) put the call
out for Muhammed V's head. With no knowledge of her fathers actions, Malika, her
mother, and five brothers and sisters were sent to prison. Malika's father, was
consequently executed.
Prison was at first easy to swallow. Malika's family was allowed to bring several
articles of their fine clothing, as well as books and toys. Yet as their situation worsened,
these privileges were stolen along with their basic human rights.
Malika's family was moved into a desolate desert prison. Here they were treated
horribly. Malika's account gives the reader a detailed image of the conditions in which
she lived.
Unable to go on, and starved of life, Malika helps put her family members out of their
misery several times. Cutting at her siblings wrist with any sharp object she may find,
Malika realizes that they must escape for good.
Her determination and triumph is the basis for a excellent story about the mistreatment
of humans. This book is a reality check for anyone who has not been opened up to the
deterioration of human morals in this part of the world.

Imagine; at age five having all the luxuries available to a princess and having a king treating you just like a daughter. Malika Oufkir, the adopted daughter of Moroccan King Muhammad V and then King Hassan II, had almost everything she could ask for in her childhood years. Following a political coup, which her father played a role in, Malika and her family were stripped of all luxuries and imprisoned. The childhood portion of the book is a little too in-depth, the appalling imprisonment years were over in a flash, but while the book keep the audiences' attention throughout; this story had the potential of being a whole lot more interesting.

The book is broken down into clearly defined parts-the childhood years, the imprisonment years, and after. The emphasis is on the childhood years; this major portion of the book details most of Malika's moves and thoughts throughout her time at the palace and her rebellious period back at home. Stolen Lives contradicts itself in some instances especially in the childhood years. Repeatedly the author's use the metaphor of the palace being a prison is contradictory to the accounts of a happy Malika having fun with the princess and getting into trouble like any normal child does. The fact of the matter is, is that Malika had a lot of freedom-her punishments for misbehaving were not as severe and she was `allowed' to speak very freely, and at times disrespectful, to the king with minor or no repercussions. There are several more contradictions throughout this book such as loving, in her own way, the king, yet calling him her jailor.

The childhood years section went on and on to the brink of becoming tedious, yet never managed to become boring because of all the escapades, that although were irrelevant to the imprisonment years kept the making the book hard to put down. There were times in the section that I could imagine myself doing some of the very same things-the clubs, etc.-and there were times that I could sympathize with the hardship of separation from your family. Malika does a good job to explain all of her escapades and anxiety that allows a tenuous understanding of what was going on in her mind, and a means for the audience to relate to her childhood and rebellion years.

The imprisonment portion of the book moved by very quickly and lacked an in-depth description that would make it more appalling and more easily understood. The narrative of the different prisons and situations went so fast it was hard to keep up where they were, and who was in charge, and what were the conditions. The way the authors describe the conditions it seems like only a few years have gone by, when is really was twenty years that went by. It is hard to grasp that the little boy is now a man, and that Malika is not a rebellious youth anymore. This part had the potential to be a very strong part detailing the atrocities that occurred during these twenty years, and how people blindly followed the king's instructions. It is amazing that such a powerful tale was not written to its full potential.

The author had plenty of information to work with and yet, the weak part of the book was an area that should have been a very powerful part. Although it is lacking in some parts (like the description of the prison years), overall this story of one family's life in prison is very emotional. It fulfills what the authors wanted to do: evoke a strong emotion about the atrocities that happened to innocent women and children because of something that they had no prior knowledge of and were not involved in. That is what this story is about and it does a very good job at evoking strong emotions that make people realize that there are injustices in this world that can and do happen.

Have you ever been stripped from your life, your family, and your freedom? Most of us can proudly say that we have never been subjected to this kind of torture, but for one girl this was all to true. Malika Oufkir was at the tender age of five when she was asked to live in the Palace with the King and his court and to become the princess' "play mate". This was not common at all for these times in Morocco, so that is why it was such a privilege for her to be hand picked by the king, but on the other hand she was being stolen from her family. As the years went on she became accustomed to palace life and grew to like it there, so when she returned to her real family she has some adjusting to do. Not long after returning to normal life Malika's father was accused of attempting to over through the king and his policies. He was immediately killed and the whole Oukfir family was taken into custody by the King and placed in a deserted fort. Here they were still able to lead somewhat of a normal life, they were able to keep many of their nice clothes, furniture, and were treated well and feed normal food. After years there the family was moved to a desert jail where they endured what no human should ever endure. They were all separated into different cells, fed only dirty water and bread, beaten and kept from any form of sunlight, condemned to waste away in their cells. This would surely drive any person insane, but the Oufkir family was amazingly strong, they even created a phoning system so they could talk to each other every night. At this point in the book it was hard to put it down, with every page you would discover a new invention the kids had invented and, remarkably, kept hidden from the guards. With every chapter that passed, I realized more and more what a impressive, motivating, innocent and yet incredibly strong family this was. The book continues on to reveal how three of the kids escape and are fleeing from town to town attempting to find someone they know who is still alive, or who will not turn them into the police. One can only imagine that feeling: knowing that you have no one in the world to trust and having to watch your back constantly. Their story does not end there, the book continues to describe how the family was considered heroes for surviving such conditions, and yet the King placed them under house arrest again! After everything settled down the family then had to face probably their biggest challenge, returning to normal life. But what is normal life? They had to re-teach themselves how to trust, love and life, they no longer knew the meaning of the word freedom and didn't like how it had treated them in the past. This book is one that will leave a lasting impression on you. It will pull at your heart and stay on your mind, it will make you mad, sad, and yet amazed all at the same time. "Stolen Lives" is a definite must read!!

Malika Oufkir's Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in A Desert Jail is her autobiography about the time she, her mother, five siblings, and two close family acquaintances spent in Moroccan jails. The entire family was unjustly imprisoned for twenty years after Malika's father, General Mohammad Oufkir, attempted to overthrow the reigning monarch, King Hassan II. In the aftermath of the resulting coup, General Oufkir was assassinated himself and by association his family was imprisoned, as the King was fearful that they too might be an internal threat to his legitimacy. The resulting punishment meant that the Oufkir family was imprisoned against their will for a crime that they did not commit, which was a human rights violation.
In writing down her story, Malika Oufkir set out to make the rest of the world aware of what was going on under the Moroccan monarchical regime. After emerging from her years in prison, Malika feared that her unjust case had been unknown the rest of the world. She expressed a desire for others to know and understand her side of the events so that they could react externally and put international pressure upon the Moroccan regime for judicial reform and fairness, as well as a greater tolerance for opposing opinions. In effect, Malika's experiences from both within prison as well as examining her experiences outside it from free and democratic France make her even more attuned to the problems within her native Morocco. She desires that her writing be a catalyst towards reform.
It is obviously very difficult for Malika to write down her prison experiences and reveal herself to the world. What makes this book very special is how she is able to convey this sense of insecurity throughout the book. This is done through her looking back upon her experiences as traumatic. Rather than simply graze over the tough issues that her and her family were forced to confront and endure daily in their prison setting, Malika points to them with a sense of hard-headedness and determination that manages to expose herself from the outside. Despite her determination, the reader is brought into her inner world, along with all of the insecurities and vulgarities that haunt her through the present day.
Their time in prison was one in which the human spirit prevailed. There was an overarching theme of persistence among the Oufkir family as they lived with the false hope that the King would realize their unjust imprisonment and would quickly release them. As General Oufkir was in the inner circle of Moroccan government, his family had a false impression of that government, believing it was free and open because they were among the few that received extensive benefits from it. Due to their (former) prominent status, the Oufkirs believed that their imprisonment was only temporary and their state influence would help them in securing their release. With this small hope, the Oufkirs held on to a diminishing belief that they would be released. Throughout, their spirit was kept alive by this, and continued to be maintained through years in solitary confinement, and ultimately provoked them to plot their escape from prison and survival in the outside world.
Malika's representation of her time in prison brings to the forefront issues that are common throughout the Middle Eastern Muslim world. Repeatedly throughout the region, a ruling monarch who is insecure with his power controls the government, which means that the ruler will do anything in order to hold onto power and stifle all opinion against him. This is precisely what happened with the Oufkirs in Morocco. King Hassan felt that the Oufkirs, even though General Oufkir was the only family member accountable, were a civil challenge to his power and national control; thus he imprisoned them in order to stifle any further political challenges. Hassan II not only imprisoned the Oufkir family, but also several hundred other political prisoners, whose causes are mentioned in the book's postscript. Therefore, the reader comes to realize that political imprisonment is a dominant problem in the Middle East, with the Oufkir case examined in order for the reading audience to understand and reflect on the problem.
Malika Oufkir's biography of her imprisonment is poignant. She is able to recount her traumatic life in vivid detail, not only in a pleasing manner to the reader, but also in a way exposing herself to the horrors she encountered throughout her imprisonment. This is exactly what Malika set out to achieve in writing her biography, and she did so in such a clear and eloquent manner. The reader is engrossed in the story to the point that they have little choice than to show empathy for the Oufkir cause and issue a call for greater human rights and justice, not only in Morocco, but in the rest of the Middle East.