Night Train to Marrakech by Dinah Jefferies is the third novel in the Daughters of War trilogy. I have not read the other two in the series but I enjoyed it as a stand alone book.
The story centres around Vicky Baudin, a budding fashion designer who takes the train through Morocco to meet her grand mother Clemence, whom she has not met and known previously, and to try and meet Yvette Saint Laurent her fashion designer idol. Set in the mid 1960’s, Vicky is captivated by the sounds and smells of Morocco and her cousin Bea joins her but the pair, and those around them, are soon embroiled in a dark and dangerous world.
The book tackles themes of family, friendship, love and trust. There are dark moments and moments of unwavering and unconditional support and protection between mothers, daughters and sisters. Central is Clemence, a wonderful written woman who endured pain and extremely difficult early life, only to experience a more fulfilled chapter later in her life.
I must confess that I have read a number of Dinah Jefferies’ books and thoroughly enjoyed them all. She has a wonderful writing style that pulls you in from the first paragraph and captivates you to the last. She describes Morocco beautifully, and I was instantly transported back to a school trip to the country i experienced in the late 1980’s- the colours, the smells, the food, the people, the magic. I felt a real sense of poignancy of reading this book at this time with the devastating earthquake impacting the country. I hope the book inspires readers to travel to Morocco one day to see this beautiful, magical country for themselves.