Laila Lalami's new novel published.

Congratulations to Laila Lalami on the publication today of her debut novel Secret Son.

The View from Fez is hoping to review it in coming days, but until we get a copy here is a little taste of the story...


For years, Youssef, a young man from a Casablanca slum, has heard his mother’s stories about his dead and respectably poor father, stories he used as inspiration for his own life. But when a religious group, known simply as The Party, moves into town, he discovers the truth—his father is a wealthy businessman and very much alive. Youssef sets out to find his real father and enters his Westernized world, setting off a chain of events with disastrous consequences. Secret Son, set in modern Morocco against a background of corrupt liberalism and Islamic fundamentalism, explores the struggle for identity and the myriad ways in which the political, the personal, and the religious bind us together.

You can purchase Secret Son by simply clicking on the title.


Review:
"A tale of contemporary Morocco straddling the personal and the political, told simply, beautifully, with heart and panache. Lalami has talent to burn." Gary Shteyngart
Review:
"Laila Lalami's tale of a young Moroccan man who must navigate between a bleak background and a bright possibility is magnificently told and wrenched my heart." Joe Sacco
Review:
"The culture and politics of contemporary Morocco are well displayed in this beautifully written tale, with the talented Lalami deftly portraying Youssef's struggles for identity, work, and family. A brilliant story of alienation and desperation that easily transports readers to hot, dusty Casablanca." Library Journal (starred review)
Review:
"In her debut novel, Lalami explores the religious and political underpinnings of social inequity in globalized Morocco. An absorbing tale." Kirkus Reviews


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