I probably wanted more food and fewer animal stories, but I do love reading about the Middle East/North Africa.

"The Couscous Chronicles" is one of the most extraordinary and fascinating books I have ever read. It is a wonderful collection of stories told with humor, insight, and compassion. I was swept up in a world of travel, culture and rich human experience. The book is the first volume of the author's autobiography. Despite his accounts of some hair-raisingly dangerous situations this is not a dry political commentary, in fact it is a lively and often laugh-out-loud funny book.

The book explores the many ways that he has created change in his life; from travel, to an arranged marriage to ‘the girl from Tangiers’, to talking down violent situations and changing the attitudes of influential people, such as Yasser Arafat. Throughout it all we see that he is a pragmatic person with a sense of humour and a strong set of beliefs.

He shares much about the cultures of the places he has lived, as well as allowing us to get to know his wife and children through his writing. His use of humor is impeccable and was possibly the best part of the book, never trivializing important subjects, but adding a sense of wonderment to his stories.

Overall, the book is full of stories woven into a tapestry of life where there is laughter, fear, astonishment, love and everything in between. Stories that share making friends and sometimes enemies, about the everyday mundane and the extraordinary. So come along for the ride, be it a donkey or a plane and experience the rich tapestry that is life. Do grab it!

Book: The Couscous Chronicles
Author: Azzedine T. Downes
Format: Digital
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Morocco, Mauritania, Yemen, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Mecca
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: Azzedine Downes has lived a fascinating life–he’s worked for the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and is currently the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He has lived all over the world and this book is a collection of stories about his time visiting, living, and working in several countries–mostly in the Middle East, though he spends some interesting time in Bulgaria, the United States, and a few other spots. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the life of a blue-eyed American who speaks fluent Arabic and can simultaneously fit in and stand out in different cultures. It’s an interesting book and Azzedine shares some good stories–but there isn’t really an overall theme or plotline or story to the book. It’s a collection of memories–some have great detail and interesting insight, but I also often found myself looking for more. I felt like I learned some things about locations and cultures I don’t much about (that’s why I’m into travel books after all), but if you’re not looking for that kind of insight, it’s okay to skip it.

Did I know who Azzedine Downes was before I read this book? Nope. Did it matter? Nope!

Azzedine's memoir is amazing and so engaging! Working with the Peace Corp, he traveled to multiple countries on assignment (Morocco, Israel, Bulgaria, and others). In this lovely memoir, he shares a collection of experiences and stories from the various places he has lived. Adding interest, he is a blue-eyed man with Irish ancestry, a name of Arabic origin, and the ability to speak multiple languages, including Arabic, English, and French - as you might guess, this leads him to have some very unique interactions with others who feel that all his "puzzle pieces" don't fit. Far from being only focused on his work, Azzedine shares much about the cultures of the places he has lived, as well as allowing us to get to know his wife and children through his writing. His use of humor is impeccable and was possibly the best part of the book, never trivializing important subjects, but adding a sense of wonderment to his stories. You couldn't pull me away from any future book he may write.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book isn't quite what I expected. It's not a linear memoir about travel so much as a collection of stories that aren't strung together with a theme beyond travel. There's a lot of anecdotes about cultural experiences or trying something new, but there's not a lot of substance. Downes doesn't really talk about what he thinks about the things he sees or feels, it felt more like we're being told a story and then moving on quickly to the next. I was hoping for something with a bit more to dive in to.

Thank you to the author, Disruption Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This collection of autobiographical stories is like a meander through the life of the OG chill dude, an American Muslim of Irish ancestry - and no, it's never really explained how that fits together. Lots of adventures, lots and lots of them, many celebrating the author's cluelessness and high degree of chill - but at some point I did get a bit fed up with the way the author seemed to live life at a remove and through happenstance. He never reveals much below the surface, in terms of how things affected him emotionally, personally and so overall the book comes across as an odd collection of anecdotes in the world's hotspots, but not a cohesive life portrait.

This book archived before I was able to read it. I wish there was an easy way to see which books won’t be available for kindle reading because I would not request them. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity - sorry I missed the window.

Azzedine T Downes has had the privilege – or the challenge – of being present for some of the 20th century’s critical moments and he has lived in some of the most turbulent countries in the world. He has worked for the Peace Corps and is now the President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The Couscous Chronicles is the first volume of his autobiography. Despite his accounts of some hair-raisingly dangerous situations this is not a dry political commentary, in fact it is a lively and often laugh-out-loud funny book. The title is a clue. Who knew there was so much religious tradition and etiquette attached to such a simple and ubiquitous dish as couscous? And then there is the hilarious episode with the donkey – but I don’t want to spoil the story.

Downes’ precise family background is never fully explained but suffice to say he is a blue-eyed, Arab-speaking, family-centred man with an American passport and an Irish father, living wherever his work takes him. The book explores the many ways that he has created change in his life; from travel, to an arranged marriage to ‘the girl from Tangiers’, to talking down violent situations and changing the attitudes of influential people, such as Yasser Arafat. Throughout it all we see that he is a pragmatic person with a sense of humour and a strong set of beliefs. We also explore a variety of countries including Yemen, Bulgaria, Morocco and ‘the Stans’: some of the less frequently visited countries of the former Soviet bloc.

I found the beginning of the book a little confusing: I wasn’t sure why this boy of mixed heritage was living with an adoptive Moroccan family and where his parents were. Maybe I missed something! I came to thoroughly like the author as a character and found his balanced perspective on world events and situations such as the division of Jerusalem very interesting. Equally, his criticism of bureaucracy and prejudice is even-handed and often quite amusing. He is a talented linguist, but he learns that there is more to communication than just a shared language. He describes himself as a time traveller, as he navigates his way through the traditions and beliefs associated with the medina in Fez or the old city in Jerusalem. Some of the situations described are hair-raising, as his family lives with the possibility of kidnappings and bus bombings. He mentions the Arabic concept of ‘maktub’, which says that everything is pre-ordained, but he doesn’t seem to rely on this to keep him safe.

The serious side of The Couscous Chronicles is leavened with light-hearted moments that make this a thoroughly readable account. It's amusing to read of people’s confusion on meeting him, as they try to pin down his identity. His appearance suggests one thing, his accent another. He is suspected of being a spy, a different nationality, a different religion but mostly they decide he is Syrian – he is not. But he is an engaging and entertaining writer and I hope it isn’t too long before volume two of Azzedine T Downes’ story is published.

I was fortunate to receive an advance reader’s copy of this book via NetGalley in return for my honest review. Thank you.

What a life Azzedine has lived! And, true to his Irish ancestors, he has taken his real-life adventures and spun them into fantastic tales from around the globe. I have also lived outside of my native culture for much of my adult life, so these stories particularly resonated with me. But, I believe that they are also universally engaging and also speak to important larger themes in the world today. First, spend time listening to others and you’ll learn more and be happier for it. Second, bureaucrats are the worst. And third, there is no single “Muslim world” where all the world’s Muslims have the same story to tell. I loved the cultural diversity of Azzedine’s experiences across the Middle East. If you want a book that is funny, adventurous, and empathic in equal measures, this is the book to read.

Note to publishers: I really enjoyed this read, but I could only give it 4 stars because I struggled with the pacing. Sometimes, this dragged and literally lulled me to sleep while at others, a story was over before it really started. I know that editing requires a difficult balance to retain the author’s voice and style, but I feel a slightly heavier hand could have been useful here.

A book full of stories to dip into. Beautifully written, the format is slightly detracting as one story follows another without chapter or section headings or perhaps illustrations.

The author is a nomad, meandering through life slowly, telling his own true story as he goes. Look out for the story of how he met his wife and the marriage arranged after only meeting twice.

This has been such a brilliant read!

It was fascinating reading about places I've never been to and getting an insight into the different cultures.

It was informative, but also very funny at times especially when people kept asking poor Azzedine where he, and sometimes the family too, were from, and the people aksing not believing the answer. Well, it humourous to me, but I'm not Azzedine felt the same way after the amount of times he was asked that!

The book was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Disruption Books and Azzedine for the chance to read this.

What a lovely book to read, so interesting and it takes you one a journey which I really liked.

Each section/chapter has a theme and a story to tell, some blending with the next but all flowing seamlessly. The stories of life, people, food and so much more makes this a very fun read. The places the writer has been, then things he has done and all this with a good sense of humour and a good dose of lightheartedness.

I really enjoyed picking this book up and reading a bit then being able to come back another time and reading more without loosing my place or feeling lost. It is a great read and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Disruption Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Couscous Chronicles by Azzedine T. Downes is a wonderful collection of stories about traveling, culture, adventure and life. I requested this book for it's title and beautiful cover and ended up really enjoying it.

The memoir of Azzedine T. Downes, the President and CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Downes is truly funny, or at least what happens to him is funny. He visited so many parts of the world, never with judgment always with a curious mind. From Fez, Morocco, to Jerusalem, it feels like we are traveling with him.

Well written and an easy read, I would recommend this book to anyone curious to see parts of the world and learn about other cultures, and their couscous.