The Trees Have Goats

Set six years after the Arab Spring, Morocco remains home to remarkable levels of violence against women. Dr. Jack Lockhart, an American professor of forestry, arrives in Morocco to research the famed argan forests and develops a beautiful, father-daughter relationship with a young woman, Indela. Unbelievably, Indela's boyfriend, Mansour, attacks Indela in Jack's presence. When Jack confronts Mansour, Indela defends Mansour and rejects Jack. Distressed and confused, Jack resolves to remain in Morocco to study the lust and cruelty behind gendered violence. His efforts entangle him in intrigue. Along the way, we hear actual stories of abuse from Arab women. And Jack discovers his own need for personal liberation.

John Barber is a minster in the Presbyterian Church of America and a cultural historian and theologian. He is the author of several books and articles on the subject of Christianity and culture, including The Road From Eden: Studies in Christianity and Culture.