Coming from the simplest of backgrounds, Muhammad rises to the highest echelons of power thanks to his unique memory: he is a storyteller, poet, jester, and witty companion to the Moroccan king - a court jester of the 20th century. His colorful episodes from the palace reveal a luxurious world detached from the everyday lives of the people, where the admired and feared monarch rules whimsically and unpredictably. His courtiers strive day and night for his favor and goodwill, yet intrigue and betrayal also arise in the face of his impending death. Even one of Muhammad's sons joins the rebels, and his family threatens to fall apart. Inspired by his father's life at the court of Hassan II, Mahi Binebine manages to highlight the duplicity of this centuries-old regime without passing moral judgment. This novel is also full of life.