In 1954 Morocco, a nationalist uprising against French colonial rule has begun. The American ex-pat John Stenham enjoys the trappings of Fez, and wants things to stay the same in this ancient city. Stenham crosses paths with Amar, a local teenager, and this fragile friendship between two outsiders will change the boy's life. Published in 1955, this perceptive novel by the author of The Sheltering Sky chronicles the conflict of Eastern and Western cultures with sympathy for the people caught in the crossfire of political upheavals. "Vivid fidelity and richness of detail…. [Bowles] has certainly made the explosive city of Fez come powerfully to life."—NYTimes