Bringing 1950s Morocco vividly to life, Jane Johnson’s masterful new novel, The Black Crescent, is a gripping story of murder, magic and divided loyalties…
Hamou Badi is born in a mountain village, with the magical signs of the zouhry on his hands. In Morocco, the zouhry is a figure of legend, a child of both human and djinns, capable of finding all manner of treasure: lost objects, hidden water.
But instead, Hamou finds a body.
This unsolved murder instils in Hamou a deep desire for order and justice: he trains as an officer of the law, working for the French in Casablanca. But the city is trapped in the turmoil of the nationalist uprising, and there soon he will be forced to choose between all he knows and all he loves…
I'm delighted to be sharing my publication day review of The Black Crescent by Jane Johnson today. Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Poppy from Ransom PR for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the book.
Hamou Badi has a horizontal line across the palm of his hand which marks him out as a zouhry; a child borne of humans and djinns – but this is not a fantasy novel and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that the legend is rather a metaphor for a man caught between two very real but increasingly divided worlds. There are one or two moments which suggest he may be bestowed with certain gifts but really The Black Crescent is an evocative, powerful exploration of a tumultuous, important period of Morocco's history.
The book opens in 1929; Hamou is a bold tearaway who lives in Tiziane, a mountain village and rather pities his younger cousin from Casablanca. His people are Berbers who consider themselves Amazigh – 'free men' – but even this early in proceedings, it's obvious that their proud independence is rapidly being taken from them. Nevertheless, Hamou's biggest concern is facing the irascible old woman who supplies milk to the villagers. Until that is, he finds a corpse.
The storyline then fast-forwards to 1955 and despite his previous, youthful disdain for city life, Hamou is now living in Casablanca and has become a policeman. He is clearly still affected by his earlier discovery, particularly because the murder was never solved and the victim wasn't even afforded any dignity after her death. His belief in justice is what drives him but Hamou finds himself increasingly torn between duty and his principles. His innate kindness and strong morals are consistently evident but Morocco has become a dangerous place, especially for somebody who hoped to bridge the gap between communities but instead is marked out as an outsider who doesn't really fit in anywhere.
The sense of time and place engendered through the richly descriptive, empathetic narrative is superb from start to finish; I didn't know anything about Morocco's fight for independence but Jane Johnson brings the period vividly to life. This is a raw, thought-provoking exploration of imperialism and there are some scenes which are necessarily difficult to read. There is violence on both sides as nationalists clash with the French colonists but the cruelty of the regime is particularly distressing at points. Hamou witnesses some terrible sights and the contrast between the carefree boy and scared, confused man is poignantly potent. His desire to protect those he loves, even when he realises their actions are directly set against his official role, puts him in an impossible position. The visceral brutality of his experiences are often more damaging to his mind than to his body but he is genuinely in danger at some points and there's an intensity to these scenes which is heartbreaking. However, there are more humorous moments too and despite this being an uncompromising novel, it's also clearly a love letter to the indomitable spirit of Morocco.
The juxtaposition between the privileged colonisers and those who live in shanty towns in the city or arid, poverty-stricken dwellings in the countryside is striking throughout The Black Crescent but there's a fierce beauty found here too. The later chapters give readers the chance to see yet a different aspect of the country and as the various strands of the storyline are skilfully drawn together, Jane Johnson's clever use of light and shade ensures the book is utterly compulsive. This is historical fiction at its finest; authentic, immersive and immensely moving. I highly recommend it.
Jane Johnson has recorded a short YouTube video about The Black Crescent if you'd like to know a little more about this wonderful book.
The Black Crescent is published by Head of Zeus and can be purchased from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon or your favourite independent bookseller.
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