---
product_id: 45566447
title: "Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club)"
price: "190 Lei"
currency: RON
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.ro/products/45566447-stolen-lives-twenty-years-in-a-desert-jail-oprahs-book
store_origin: RO
region: Romania
---

# Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club)

**Price:** 190 Lei
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club)
- **How much does it cost?** 190 Lei with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ro](https://www.desertcart.ro/products/45566447-stolen-lives-twenty-years-in-a-desert-jail-oprahs-book)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club): 9780786868612: Malika Oufkir, Michele Fitoussi, Ros Schwartz: Books

Review: When everything is taken away and only the spirit remains... - I saw an interview with Malika Oufkir on Oprah Winfrey's show and was so taken by her courage, her incredible spiritual strength and the unbelievable horror of her tale, that I felt I had to read this book. I found it to be an inspiring testimony to the human spirit but also an honest account of the terrible toll of this family's ordeal, leaving one brother "a permanent child" in Malika's own words, a brother who found adjusting to a normal, free life nearly impossible and who is still suffering the effects of his imprisonment.For their part, Oufkir and her sisters were left suspicious of men, emotionally scarred by what they survived...and yet they also managed to find the strength to serve as witnesses to their injustice and to find the courage to speak out. This is one of the most inspiring true-life accounts I've read in the last year and one I'd put on any "must read" list. If you dont know the details of Oufkir's story, here's a brief summary: At the age of 5, Malika Oufkir, eldest daughter of General Oufkir, was adopted by King Muhammad V of Morocco, a man who wanted an available playmate for his young daughter. While in the palace, Oufkir led a life of a fairy princess, in total luxury --- until her father was found guilty of treason as part of a coup to overthrow the new regime (led by King Hassan II). Malika's father was executed and she, her mother and her brother and sisters were immediately imprisoned. From one day to the next, Oufkir went from luxury to a struggle for her very existence, living in conditions that you can't believe until you read about it. There were times when one or the other would try and commit suicide (her brother when he was only 7) or be forced to eat food drenched in rat urine. And yet they DID persevere and manage to escape to tell their tale. Please don't assume that the grim details in this book (and I won't pull any punches; there are parts of this book that are difficult to read0 take away from the inspiration to be found here. After finishing this book, I actually felt uplifted and was amazed that I did, buoyed by the fact that this family went through such horror and yet managed to find the courage to survive - and then to tell about it.
Review: Corruption in a Fake Muslim Monarchy - During 1974 and 1975, I worked for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in assignments in the Middle East and Africa. While in Casablanca, I dined frequently at a restaurant owned by a lady. I asked a waitress if the lady had a husband. She told me that the husband had been killed at a palace in 1971 when officers and cadets attempted a coup. General Mohamed Oufkir, the author’s father, had been involved in stopping the coup. Ten officers (friends of General Oufkir) were executed. On August 16, 1972, General Oufkir led a coup and was executed. His relatives (3 women and 6 children) were imprisoned for approximately 20 years in desert jails with asps, scorpions, spiders, pythons, rats, and bats. At age 5, Malika was sent to live in a palace. She knew the king and royal family better than most people. You will learn the truth about fake Muslim monarchies. Morocco had a period of slave ownership. Members of the royal family, General Oufkir, and Malika Oufkir drank alcoholic beverages. In 1965, General Oufkir had worked with Israel’s Mossad to kidnap and to kill in France an opposition leader, Ben Barka. This book is a detailed account of corruption in a Muslim country with a monarchy.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #135,847 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #28 in Historical African Biographies (Books) #1,137 in Women's Biographies #3,723 in Memoirs (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (433) |
| Dimensions  | 6 x 1 x 9.25 inches |
| Edition  | Later Printing |
| ISBN-10  | 0786868619 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0786868612 |
| Item Weight  | 1.25 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 293 pages |
| Publication date  | June 1, 2001 |
| Publisher  | Miramax |

## Images

![Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81IoEgzc8fL.jpg)
![Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail (Oprah's Book Club) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81hSihX62dL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When everything is taken away and only the spirit remains...
*by K***N on June 23, 2001*

I saw an interview with Malika Oufkir on Oprah Winfrey's show and was so taken by her courage, her incredible spiritual strength and the unbelievable horror of her tale, that I felt I had to read this book. I found it to be an inspiring testimony to the human spirit but also an honest account of the terrible toll of this family's ordeal, leaving one brother "a permanent child" in Malika's own words, a brother who found adjusting to a normal, free life nearly impossible and who is still suffering the effects of his imprisonment.For their part, Oufkir and her sisters were left suspicious of men, emotionally scarred by what they survived...and yet they also managed to find the strength to serve as witnesses to their injustice and to find the courage to speak out. This is one of the most inspiring true-life accounts I've read in the last year and one I'd put on any "must read" list. If you dont know the details of Oufkir's story, here's a brief summary: At the age of 5, Malika Oufkir, eldest daughter of General Oufkir, was adopted by King Muhammad V of Morocco, a man who wanted an available playmate for his young daughter. While in the palace, Oufkir led a life of a fairy princess, in total luxury --- until her father was found guilty of treason as part of a coup to overthrow the new regime (led by King Hassan II). Malika's father was executed and she, her mother and her brother and sisters were immediately imprisoned. From one day to the next, Oufkir went from luxury to a struggle for her very existence, living in conditions that you can't believe until you read about it. There were times when one or the other would try and commit suicide (her brother when he was only 7) or be forced to eat food drenched in rat urine. And yet they DID persevere and manage to escape to tell their tale. Please don't assume that the grim details in this book (and I won't pull any punches; there are parts of this book that are difficult to read0 take away from the inspiration to be found here. After finishing this book, I actually felt uplifted and was amazed that I did, buoyed by the fact that this family went through such horror and yet managed to find the courage to survive - and then to tell about it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Corruption in a Fake Muslim Monarchy
*by P***E on December 30, 2025*

During 1974 and 1975, I worked for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in assignments in the Middle East and Africa. While in Casablanca, I dined frequently at a restaurant owned by a lady. I asked a waitress if the lady had a husband. She told me that the husband had been killed at a palace in 1971 when officers and cadets attempted a coup. General Mohamed Oufkir, the author’s father, had been involved in stopping the coup. Ten officers (friends of General Oufkir) were executed. On August 16, 1972, General Oufkir led a coup and was executed. His relatives (3 women and 6 children) were imprisoned for approximately 20 years in desert jails with asps, scorpions, spiders, pythons, rats, and bats. At age 5, Malika was sent to live in a palace. She knew the king and royal family better than most people. You will learn the truth about fake Muslim monarchies. Morocco had a period of slave ownership. Members of the royal family, General Oufkir, and Malika Oufkir drank alcoholic beverages. In 1965, General Oufkir had worked with Israel’s Mossad to kidnap and to kill in France an opposition leader, Ben Barka. This book is a detailed account of corruption in a Muslim country with a monarchy.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Makeshift Index
*by M***H on October 13, 2012*

Whether it is Robert Caro or not this biography tells its story with enough political context to be of use to anyone researching a wide range of political, ethnic, desert and psychological topics: noisy chewing p.19, 73-75; sandalwood smudge p. 39; sweats 117; Jews 74, 78, 111, 168, 262, 267; jinns 45; virginity 72, 77; Berbers; nudity 50; beatings 52-53; weight 53, 147; infidelity 79; 1971 coup 80-81; dislike of luxury 85; Gaddafi 86; slaves 40,52-53; servants 89; women blamed 97; assassination attempts 88; guards 125-126. There is another detailed description of slave roles in palace life I am not finding now. Excellent writing is always a nice plus but trust and willingness to work together are more valuable in the telling of this story than excellent writing would have been. Plenty of relevant topics are touched upon, and it is readable. It is obnoxious to protest that the subject of the biography was a spoiled brat when she constantly points that out herself. There is an inconsistency as follows: After many years of starvation diet her sister, not the anorexic one, has a weight problem. How? It isn't starvation bloat, that problem surfaces during the escape.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ro/products/45566447-stolen-lives-twenty-years-in-a-desert-jail-oprahs-book](https://www.desertcart.ro/products/45566447-stolen-lives-twenty-years-in-a-desert-jail-oprahs-book)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Romania*
*Store origin: RO*
*Last updated: 2026-02-23*