About the Book:
Monk of Mokha is the true story of a young Yemeni-American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana'a by civil war.
Mokhtar Alkhanshali is twenty-four, unable to pay for college, and working as a doorman when he becomes fascinated with the rich history of coffee. He travels to Yemen and visits countless farms, collecting samples, eager to bring improved cultivation methods to the countryside. In 2015 he is on the verge of success when civil war engulfs the country. The US Embassy closes, Saudi bombs rain down, and Mokhtar is trapped in Yemen, desperate to escape. A heart-pounding true story, The Monk of Mokha weaves together the history of coffee, the ongoing Yemeni civil war, and the courageous journey of a young man--a Muslim and a US citizen--following the most American of dreams.
“It combines—in a single moving narrative—history, politics, biography, psychology, adventure, drama, despair, hope, triumph and the irrepressible, indomitable nature of the human spirit at its best.”
—Imam Zaid Shakir
About Jason Layh:
Jason has been, among other things, the book buyer here at Alpenglow Sports for the last 5 years and the inspiration behind the community book event. He is antipodean by nature, yet has called Tahoe 'home' for the last 20 years. Always ready to go for a ski, swim or bike in a new location and often looking for an excuse to do so. As his page turns to a new chapter in his life, Jason would like to take the opportunity to thank the local community that has been so fun to play with over these past few decades.
Why Jason Chose This Book:
A riveting story from the onset that is both tangible in its opening proximity to life here and yet capable of instantly whisking the reader away to locations most of us have never even dreamed of considering, into scenarios that are simply beyond most western comprehension. Even when the underlying connection is so universally loved.
