Dave Eggers: Monk of Mokha (2018, Penguin Books, Limited)
352 pages
English language
Published June 11, 2018 by Penguin Books, Limited.
The true story of a young Yemeni-American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana a by civil war.
So, I don't drink coffee. Much too bitter for me. But I saw this book at the library and was drawn in by the author's description of Mokhtar. I appreciated that the book took time out to discuss Yemeni culture and politics, and even the history of coffee despite not liking the drink. This is a great rags-to-riches story, with some lessons learned along the way.
Immigrants make America great. The real person at the center of this story, Mokhtar Alkhanshali, the Bay Area-born son of Yemeni immigrants, exemplifies this perfectly. Dave Eggers-haters will be pleased to find that his authorial voice is completely subsumed by Mokhtar’s, and he tells a fascinating and thrilling story about one young man’s unbelievable journey to bring his homeland’s coffee heritage to the rest of the world. Plus, I learned a lot about coffee production and history!
An incredible story of one young man's determination against all odds and dangerous conditions, this is well worth the read. This rather short read includes some fascinating history, as well. It certainly makes one take another look at so many products that are, for us, so easily obtained.
I'd recommend this to anyone.
