A captivating historical novel set in post-war Casablanca about a young man marked by djinns who must decide where his loyalties lie as the fight for Moroccan independence erupts.
Hamou Badi is born in a village in the Anti-Atlas Mountains with the markings of the zouhry on his hands. In Morocco, the zouhry is a figure of legend, a child of both humans and djinns, capable of finding treasure, lost objects, and even water in the worst of droughts. But when young Hamou finds the body of a murdered woman, his life is forever changed.
Haunted by this unsolved murder and driven by the desire to do good in the world, Hamou leaves his village for Casablanca to become an officer of the law under the French Protectorate.
But Casablanca is not the shining beacon of modernity he was expecting. The forcible exile of Morocco's sultan by the French sparks a nationalist uprising led by violent dissident groups, none so fearsome as the Black Crescent. Torn between his heritage and his employers, Hamou will be caught in the crossfire.
The lines between right and wrong, past and future, the old world and the new, are not as clear as the magical lines on his palms. And as the danger grows, Hamou is forced to choose between all he knows and all he loves.
Industry Reviews
"Johnson imbues 1950s Morocco with some light magic in this robust tale about a man favoured by djinns. . . . [Readers] will be drawn in by the tense and complex political machinations. This is one to savour."
-- Publishers Weekly
"Addictive reading: once I enter Jane's world, I am compelled to stay and pause as little as possible until I have reached the last word. A perfect blend of history and culture in an engaging thriller full of finely crafted characters."
-- VIGGO MORTENSEN, Academy Award-nominated actor and author
"I was enraptured from the first to the last page. Hamou is such a fascinating character--a decent man, trapped in extraordinary times. This is a riveting novel."
-- ROBERTA RICH, bestselling author of The Jazz Club Spy
"A unique, captivating tale that held me spellbound throughout."
-- GENEVIEVE GRAHAM, #1 bestselling author of Bluebird and The Forgotten Home Child
"The Black Crescent transports you to another place and time and completely absorbs you in an arresting story of love and divided loyalties. Jane Johnson is a remarkable author . . . I loved it."
-- ROWAN COLEMAN, Sunday Times bestselling author of From Now Until Forever
"[A] compelling narrative."
-- The Times
"[A] marvellous novel, evocative, powerful, and transportive, and Hamou is a wonderful protagonist, full of empathy and curiosity about people. I loved it and felt I had been steeped in Morocco."
-- ELIZABETH CHADWICK, bestselling author of The King's Jewell and A Marriage of Lions
"A hugely enjoyable and unusual historical novel."
-- RACHEL HORE, bestselling author of A Beautiful Spy
"A vivid novel with fascinating characters that will linger in one's thoughts long after the final page. Highly recommended."
-- The Historical Novels Review
"I loved The Black Crescent. It put me so vividly into the landscape and character of the people, it was as though I had been there."
-- BARBARA ERSKINE, bestselling author of The Dream Weavers and The Ghost Tree
