Moon and Henna Tree

<p>Set in the High Atlas in pre-modern Morocco <i>Moon and Henna Tree</i> chronicles the rise and fall of a local potentate Hmmu. Not content with the territory left to him upon his father's death Hmmu under the influence of his scheming advisor Ibn al-Zara begins a campaign to acquire those lands that adjoin his either through marriage or physical force.</p> <p>Ahmed Toufiq's subtle investigation of the abuse of power and its effects on those who suffer under its tyranny also provides a unique look at Amazigh (Berber) culture. While most of Toufiq's contemporaries focus on modern urban Morocco he provides a fascinating and accurate account of the customs and traditions of a large yet often ignored segment of the population. <i>Moon and Henna Tree</i> (in the original Arabic) won the Moroccan Book Prize in 1989.</p>