Have you ever felt that about a destination, that the very air is distinctive, and pulls you toward it?Ĥ. What was your favourite passage in the book and why?ģ. Lucy describes the smell of Africa, beckoning her from the shore (page 16). Have you travelled to Tangier, or anywhere in Morocco? Did anything about the book’s setting feel familiar? Why, or why not?Ģ. We may not get through all of these, but here are some thoughts to start our discussion!ġ. Full of precise details and extraordinary craftsmanship, Tangerine has been optioned for film by George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures, with Scarlett Johansson to star. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice-she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Lucy-always fearless and independent-helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. Published in 2018 and the debut novel for Christine Mangan, Tangerine is the story of two friends and once inseparable roommates - Alice Shipley and Lucy Mason who meet again in Tangier, Morocco. The hot dusty winds, souks and riads and the Sahara Desert have inspired countless movies and trips, including my own journey there in 2014, when I spent a very chilly New Year’s Eve in the Sahara Desert. What is it about Morocco that we love so much? Having spent several weeks in Morocco, and more recently in southern Spain, I admit to a breathless fascination with all things Moorish. Previous book club picks have included Alice Morrison’s “Morocco to Timbuktu” (May 2021) and Vendela Vida’s “The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty” which focused on Casablanca (September 2022).

This isn’t our first book on Morocco - in fact, it’s our third. Our March book of the month, Tangerine, is a gripping psychological literary thriller set in 1950s Tangier, Morocco.

Tangerine by christine mangan