This is a really great well researched and well written story set in Casablanca. The parallel timelines track similar events as refugees flock to the city. During WW2 Casa was a stopover for escapees from France, some but not all, of them Jews trying to reach the UK or America. In modern times the refugees are fleeing war-torn countries in other parts of Africa and the near East en-route to Europe.

The first main protagonist is Josie, a French part Jewish girl whose family have fled Paris and are now hoping to reach America before their money runs out. Secondly there is Zoe, a troubled wife and mother who is struggling with her marriage and hoping for a new start when her husband is posted to Casa.

The story uncovers the impact of Josie's history on Zoe (via a hidden journal) and secrets kept by both women. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I have never had a thought about the African side of the Second War. I know the European part the best - maybe because I live here so this history affects me somehow and creates the world and the division that I know. But Africa? Of course, I remember from school that something was going on there but I have to admit (believe me, I'm truly ashamed) that I have never heard anything about Casablanca in that part of the time.

A city such beautiful. Known from the movies, books. Full of energy, color, vibrating. For those looking for freedom. But Casablanca has the second face. Face full of the immigrants' tragedy - then and even now. And it is easy to forget about it walking in the alley with the designer shops and living the best life. Casablanca is something more than another breathtaking place by the Ocean.

The book is not simple - dual timeline and the life of Josie and Zoe is full of difficult situations, even awakening, let's say. The first part of their stories seems to be a little bit naive - they see only want they want to see. They didn't realize how the world looks like outside their perfect bubble. The wake-up call is like a cold shower. Painful.

The second part of the book is much better. There is an action, hard decision that often leaves them with a broken heart.

I have very mixed feelings. I appreciate the story - the plot, twist, the idea, and the description of a hard time and everyday struggle. But on the other side - it was hard to get into this book. I just don't felt it at the beginning. That was the main reason that it takes me so long to finish it.

Anyway, I'm going to read other books by Fiona Valpy. I like her point of view, unusual topic and it could be worth to get to know other her stories.

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The author places you in the story with Zoe and Josie with her symphony of words. I smiled, laughed, and cried as these two ladies, separated in their stories by over 60 years, revealed their truths and found where they belonged.

The Storyteller of Casablanca is a heartwarming story of two women connected by a journal who lived in the same house 70 years apart . The story is told from dual timelines that are woven together seamlessly. Zoe's husband gets transferred to Casablanca for work and this is a chance at a fresh start for them and their little girl, Grace. By chance, Zoe discovers a box hidden beneath the floorboards in the attic that contains a journal from a young girl named Josie, who lived in the house in the early 1940s while waiting for the chance to board a ship to America with her family during WWII. Josie's journal takes us through her life in Casablanca during that time and through this journey, helps Zoe to come to terms with her life and the hardships she was facing and find a path forward.

The characters felt very realistic and you have to just fall in love with Josie and her beautiful approach to life. I also didn't know anything about Casablanca during WWII so I liked this unique viewpoint, especially the vibrant descriptions of Casablanca both in the 1940's and the 2010 timeline.

Thank you #NetGalley, Fiona Valpy, and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC of #TheStorytellerof Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting look at life in Casablanca and Morocco during WW2.

*I loved Josie’s story and the tale of her family seeking refuge after leaving German occupied France. Her friends in Casablanca were wonderful and the setting was fascinating. The whole book could have been about Josie’s story.

*Zoe’s story is poignant but dull. Her struggle is real and sad, but it took a long time to care about her. In the end, she healed and grew by helping others.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

3.5-4 stars.

I love WWII historical fiction and I’m always excited to read something with a different perspective. Set in Morocco, the story was different a “fresh” take on a time in history I’ve read a lot. I absolutely loved Josie’s story and I could have read all about her and her family and left out Zoe’s story easily. Zoe was harder to connect to- I had figured out the big “surprise” fairly early on and I found myself almost… annoyed that it was leading down the path for the big plot twist.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Five star rating!

I’ve loved Fiona Valpy’s previous works e.g. Dressmakers gift, Beekeepers Daughter, Sea of Memories. I’ve absolutely loved her style of writing, historical settings and how easily she can draw you into the storyline. The Storyteller of Casablanca is no different, set in the beautiful Moroccan city of the same name, during the Second World War. I thoroughly enjoyed every page! I loved finding out about an aspect of the war that isn’t as often shown as other locations.

I am an avid historical fiction fan, and I always look forward to reading what Fiona Valpy creates next. I would highly recommend both The Storyteller of Casablanca and the author herself .

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this book.

4 solid stars. Reading a good historical fiction novel is the next best thing to time travel and this title is just that. It felt like I was transported to 1940s Morocco and I didn’t even mind the dual timelines that many books seem to be defaulting to these days.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book based Moroccan history. The dual timeline including some actual facts had me gripped. Connecting present day and World War 2, the well developed characters and beautiful descriptions transported me to another time and place.
I enjoyed every minute of this book and was surprised by the emotional twists and turns.

This was a first read by Fiona Valpy, but definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you to the publisher and #Net Galley for the e-copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy sucked me in from the very first page. The dual timeline was so well done, and felt very different (in a great way) than other WWII novels I've read. Thorough enjoyed this book & highly recommend!

What a read! A well researched text that made me want to watch Casablanca the classic movie again. Morocco, 1941. With France having fallen to Nazi occupation, twelve-year-old Josie has fled with her family to Casablanca, An intertwining link with the modern day brings this story alive and provides hope not just for wartime but all life's challenges.
Such a moving story. Will definately read more novels by this author.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Summary: Zoe is adjusting to being an English expat in Casablanca. Her husband has sunk himself into his new job in the city while Zoe tries to fit in with the other work wives and care for her daughter Grace. Between monitoring her husband’s drinking, coping with the trauma of an incident that caused them to leave England for Casablanca, and compulsively washing her hands until her skin cracks and bleeds, Zoe is a woman who is lost in so many ways. Then one day while fixing a loose floorboard in her daughter’s room, she discovers a box filled with trinkets and a journal written by a young French refugee girl who lived in the house during World War II and the Nazi occupation of the city.


First off, with all of the different WWII books that are available, it was a nice change of pace to read a story that didn’t take place in England or France. This is a location that doesn’t get very much attention, so it is a refreshing perspective to WWII. I also loved the story within a story that Josie’s diary brought and how invested I ended up becoming.

This whole story is one of coping with pain and loss from a wide variety of sources. From Zoe's trauma to Josie's life being upended and the refugee women and children fleeing with only themselves, there is so much real life trauma that is addressed. However, it is meant to also be a story of healing, as all of these characters are given some way to regain their dignity and begin to find peace.

On a personal note, this book was very meaningful to me. I found so much to connect with. Zoe’s pain, her ability to stand up to privileged women who saw refugees as slackers leeching off the resources they have no right to, and her desire to find some small way to help. All of this resonated with me as I also ask myself what I can do to make the world better, and is it enough? I believe that there are also other people who would enjoy the hope that this beautiful story provides.

Lastly, the author provides resources for organizations that help both refugees and people grieving a loss of a loved one. With such hard-hitting topics, I appreciated the author didn’t simply leave readers to deal with their feelings on the subjects.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishers for the advance copy of this book to read and review.

I have read several of Fiona Valpy’s other books set in France in WW2. and was excited to read this new one.

The Storyteller of Casablanca tells a story of Josie, a 13 year old half Jewish refugee from France in 1941 and Zoe, a British expat in 2010.

Zoe discovers a journal and wooden box under a loose floorboard in a room of her house in Casablanca.

As she reads the story left behind by Josie, she discovers an old story of Josie’s family waiting to get their papers to travel to America during the war.

Zoe becomes involved in an expat community but also starts volunteering at a refugee centre for women and children. The melting pot of culture in 1940 is not dissimilar to 2010.

There is an undercurrent of tension and sadness in both stories that only comes together right towards the end of the book.

The slow unveiling is worth it though. The city is beautifully described in both women’s words.

The Storyteller of Casablanca tells two intertwining narratives of two women who lived in the same house decades apart. Josie is a teenager whose family has moved to Casablanca, Morocco to escape the Germans while Zoe is escaping her own traumatic past with a husband who has become a stranger. Zoe discovers Josie's journal in the floorboards of her house and follows Josie's story as she adjusts to life as a refugee in Morocco.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but I thought it was too long and that the storylines didn't pick up until about a third of the way through the book. I'm not a huge fan of the two-storyline books, and while this book did a great job at weaving them together, the separate plot lines didn't really start until later in each story. I did love the research done into Moroccan history and culture and hearing about the lives of the different refugee communities--that was so interesting and well done. I just didn't find the plots themselves all that intriguing. Of the two main plot twists (Zoe's and then the main one), only one was a big surprise, although I did love it.

This book could have been better if it was shorter and the plots were stronger and started earlier, but still a good read!

I was initially attracted by the title and setting of the story, Casablanca. It is told in two timescales. It starts with modern-day Zoe who is starting a new life as an expat along with her husband and baby. Her marriage is at breaking point and both hope this is a new start for them, however its clear that both are struggling to move past what is overshadowing them from England.
She discovers a wooden box, hidden in her baby daughter's room, containing a journal and other trinkets. The story then flicks between Josie's memoirs of Casablanca and Morocco in World War Two.

I found the whole story fascinating. The historical aspects of the tale were incredibly well researched and an area of world war history that I did not know about. I feel that I've learnt a lot. The tale of Josie, her family and those of her friends was sensitively written. Valpy's rich descriptions of Morocco, both past and present, really brought it to life in my mind. There is a nice link between Josie and her family being refugees in 1941 to Zoe helping out at a refugee shelter in 2010. The representation of the refugee crisis and how Zoe finds a way to empower the women and children there was especially well-written and thought-provoking.

The twists at the end of the book in particular were heart-breaking and I spent the last few chapters in tears, the story was so moving. However, there is hope mixed with grief and this is a wonderful thing to take away from it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more Fiona Valpy books in the future.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

I loved the dressmakers gift so was really excited to read this book by Fiona Valpy. The story is set in the wonderful Casablanca where Tom has a new job so Tom and Zoe move. To this magical place in the hope of rekindling thier love.
Zoe finds a notebook written by Josie a young girl from 1941..The historical parts of the war are authentic and well written and the character of Josie is warm and engaging. I love Fiona’s writing and it’s another winner !

I loved The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy. It is a beautifully woven story that occurs in Morocco and alternates between 1941 and 2010. Zoe, who has moved to Morocco as an expat in 2010, struggles to adapt to her new life in a different country and finds a journal started in 1941 by Josie, a 12-year old French girl whose family had escaped Paris and lived in the same house in Morocco while awaiting their papers to travel to America. This is a rich, beautiful story that poignantly describes the challenges facing the refugees in 1941 as well as 2010. Thank you to the author, Lake Union publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good book told in dual timelines. I wasn’t too familiar with any history involving Casablanca during WW2.
This book was full of rich details of the city in both timelines. I was surprised by the ending. Definitely recommend! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Fiona Valpyis a born storyteller. Her novel The Storyteller of Casablanca is a beautifully written story which weaves together two periods in time using the same house as the backdrop. 2010 sees Zoe newly arrived with husband Tom in Casablanca where she uncovers an intricately ornate sandalwood box and a diary under the floorboards. The diary contents reveal the life of Josie, a 14 year old refugee arriving in Casablanca in 1941 to escape the advancements of the Nazi regime.
Zoe's life is somehow troubled and her struggles to cope with anxiety is fuelled by raging dermatitis on her hands and arms and she escapes to the rooftop bedroom of her daughter to devour the diary of Josie. Valpy writes as Josie in such a way that you fall under the spell of feeling you are actually reading a real diary and getting to know the life of Josie. The artifacts held in the box are slowly revealed in the diary extracts and a courageous under cover resistance story unfolds. There are warm and memorable elements as you get to know the characters and several events that will leave you moved to tears.
I would highly recommend this writer. This story and the memory of it's characters will remain with me long after completing the reading.
Thank you so much to Fiona Valpy, the publisher and Net galley UK for the opportunity to read this superb story.

I have read a few of Fiona Valpys books and this one is as good as her others. My book group is also very fond of her as well and we enjoy discussing them.
I've never been to Morocco, but Fiona certainly brings the area alive with her description of Casablanca.
It is written in a dual time line. The main main character is Zoe, with her husband Tom and their baby daughter Grace.. Her husband Tom has been transferred with his job to the city.
Zoe is spending her days settling in to their new home and getting to know the ex pat community.

Zoe is lonely and spends many hours on her own while Tom works late. While in her daughter’s bedroom, she finds a loose floorboard and underneath is a little box with a few trinkets and a diary. The diary is of a young girl of 13 called Josie written during the second world war.
Josie and her family had left Paris to go to America to escape the Nazis in France. Their time in Casablanca was to be a stop-over, just for a short while until their papers for the United States came through. Zoe begins reading the diary and soon finds herself intrigued by the young author of the diary and wondering what became of them. She starts doing a little bit of research of her own.

The story starts quite slowly, but once I got into it I found it very interesting . There was the hint throughout the book that something wasn’t right in Zoe and Tom’s marriage and you need to keep reading to understand what happened to them to be uneasy with each other.

I enjoyed the two timelines in the novel. I equally liked the two main characters especially Josies experience as a young teenager during WW 2 when the Nazi s came and how her family coped with it.