This book is more than just about coffee; it encapsulates the spirit of resilience and the pursuit of a dream against remarkable odds. Mokhtar's journey is a testament to the ideals of entrepreneurship and cultural preservation. It speaks to anyone looking for inspiration or who has ever had a seemingly impossible dream, making it a compelling narrative that can offer hope and motivation.
The 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 and working as a doorman when he becomes fascinated with the rich history of coffee and Yemen's central place in it. He leaves San Francisco and travels deep into his ancestral home to tour terraced farms high in the country's rugged mountains. He collects samples and organizes farmers and is on the verge of success when civil war engulfs the country. Saudi bombs rain down, the US embassy closes, and Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen with only his hopes on his back. The Monk of Mokha is the story of this courageous and visionary young man following the most American of dreams.