Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi Essay -- Books Lite

Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi For my final paper, I read a book titled 'Stolen Lives' by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi. This is the true story of Malika's life. This book is divided into two parts; the first part is a description of Malika's fairy-tale life. She lived alongside a princess, in a palace, and was wanting for nothing. The second part of the book tells the story of Malika and her family's time spent in prison and the suffering they went through. Malika Oufkir was born in 1953 in Morocco to a loving mother and father. Her family was very close to King Muhammad V and the royal family of Morocco. Her father was appointed the chief aide to the king after playing an active role in bringing the king back from exile. The king had a young daughter, Lalla Mina, the same age as Malika and wanted them to grow up together so he asked that Malika come and live with him. This was not a request her parents could say no to. She was basically taken from her parents without much explanation to her and brought to live with the royal family. Her mother was allowed to visit her but the visits became less and less frequent. Malika lived inside of the palace where she attended school. She lived a luxurious life, and was treated like a princess herself, but felt like she was a prisoner. The palace was surrounded by walls and her every move was watched so she could not go outside of these walls. The only time she could leave was when the royal family left to vacation at another palace. The king treated Malika very well, as if she were his own daughter. After routine surgery, King Muhammad V died when Malika was seven. King Hassan II, the son of King Muhammad, took over the throne. Malika?s mother thoug... ...e survived all this time in the conditions they had to endure. But I don?t think they could have survived if it weren?t for the support they showed for one another. This is an amazing story of the human spirit and of a bond that held this family together. I would recommend this book to any person that likes human-interest stories. I think we need to be aware that this still does go on in some parts of the world. I enjoy learning about history and this story provided some historical information. I realize how far we have come in this country with women?s rights and how primitive some societies still treat women. Also, it served as a reminder to me that different parts of the world have very diverse beliefs and how lucky we are to live in this country. Works Cited Oufkir, Malika, and Michele Fitoussi. Stolen Lives. New York:Editions Grasset & Fasquelle. 1999