by Laila Lalami
First published 2006
Murad pushes his way through the crowded streets of Tangier, reduced from his educated past to hustling tourists for spare change. He joins three other desperate Moroccans in an inflatable boat bound for Spain across the treacherous Strait of Gibraltar. Halima flees the slums of Casablanca and her violent, alcoholic husband. Aziz leaves behind his loving wife, knowing he must find work in Spain to survive. Faten, a devout student, escapes an influential man bent on ruining her future because her religious convictions threaten him. Each passenger carries wounds from modern Morocco's harsh realities. The crossing itself is only the beginning. Their illegal journey forces them to confront what they've abandoned and what they hope to find. Lalami follows each character's story, revealing the complex forces that drive people to risk death for the possibility of a better life.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, social-issues
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, refugees
Setting: Casablanca, Gibraltar, Morocco, Spain, Tangier
Period: 21st-century
188 pages · Paperback · Harvest Books
Content warnings: abuse, violence