Tahir Shah wrote The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca based upon his own life events. It's the second book in a series. Shah himself is the protagonist and omniscient narrator. At the outset he and his wife have a comfortable life in England. Remembering his father's persistent efforts to culture his children in their heritage, he has grown up with an incredible respect for Middle Eastern cultures. When he learns that his wife is pregnant, he determines to move the family to Morocco, a place his father always said reminded him of their home country Afghanistan. Once there, they purchase and move into a nearly uninhabitable mansion in Casablanca. The place comes complete with three guardians or caretakers and an evil jinn haunting. Chaos ensues as they try to deny, co-exist, and eventually exorcise the jinn from the building. At first Shah doesn't believe in the jinn, but he ends up a firm believer. His tenacity enables them to finally clear the mansion of the evil spirit.
Shah's books have been translation into several languages. They have gained popularity because of their spine-chilling horror elements and also for their depiction of Middle Eastern culture. Shah does a great job illustrating the deeply spiritual and traditionally rigid culture in Morocco. Additionally he writes for a predominantly western audience, so he bridges the global cultural gap in a way that makes sense to the western mind. He treats each facet of the culture with great respect, not writing about these customs and people for the sake of entertainment or fetish. He truly wants his readers to appreciate the traditions of these people.
The horror element of The Caliph's House is fantastic. It's like an Eastern take on The Exorcism or any sort of deliverance themed literature. Shah refrains from pronouncing judgement on the validity of the locals' beliefs in the jinn, but in the end he must confess the profound unlikelihood of the events occurring for any other reason. As a narrator, Shah proves his story-telling prowess by giving readers subtle clues about the suspicion of the house they move into. He crafts descriptions of the guardians, the building, and the accidents into a gripping tale of a good old-fashioned haunting.
