Tea at the Grand Tazi

Alexandra Singer

'Alexandra Singer writes a brilliantly authentic, well crafted tale of naevity, betrayal and personal resolution, set against the colourful backdrop of bustling souks, Moroccan sunsets and dust-filled streets.

With scenes painted by a young female artist, Tea At The Grand Tazi bravely tackles corruption, loss of innocence and the disparity between Eastern and Western values, most notably the concept of what it means to be a woman.

An engrossing read - unlike any other debut novel I have read.'

  -Polly Courtney, author of Golden Handcuffs 

In Tea at the Grand Tazi, a young female expat is swept up in the seductive charms and seedy underbelly of Marrakech.

A dark, entertaining novel on the risks of trusting to an exotic façade. 

 'How's this for an opening sentence? 'Following completion of the act of love, many men had disappointed Maia by conducting their own battle in the war against Venus.' The tone is dark, threatening even, and (I mean this as a compliment) intellectual. Eat Pray Love it ain't. This story is much darker and certainly more shocking. It's the dark underbelly of those holiday narratives... The narrative style is also extraordinary: Singer mainly uses a deeply interior point of view, with sparse visual details, and studded with some remarkably well written dialogue.' --Jenny Wren and Bella Wilfer

'There is a clear structure here and a good sense of atmosphere, and an even clearer intent to explore issues. What is created most strongly for me is the heat, the confusion and the seedy nature of both surroundings and tourists. This is more ambitious than merely a travel novel though, for it attempts to tackle some complex interwoven issues. Singer uses the clash of cultures to create more than a mystery, and in fact more than a novel of growing up.' --The Bookbag