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Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
by Laila Lalami
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About This Book
ISBN13: 9781565124936 
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Powells.com Staff Pick
As Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits begins, thirty men, women, and children crowd onto an inflatable boat to embark on the dangerous fourteen-kilometer crossing from Morocco to Spain. Laila Lalami navigates their desperate attempt as prologue to a novel whose characters restlessly chart the rough going between landlocked extremes: old world and new, faith and despair, hope and surrender.
Recommended by Dave, Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits marks the debut of an exciting new voice in fiction. Laila Lalami evokes the grit and enduring grace that is modern Morocco. The book begins as four Moroccans illegally cross the Strait of Gibraltar in an inflatable boat headed for Spain. What has driven them to risk their lives? And will the rewards prove to be worth the danger?
There's Murad, a gentle, unemployed man who's been reduced to hustling tourists around Tangier; Halima, who's fleeing her drunken husband and the slums of Casablanca; Aziz, who must leave behind his devoted wife in hope of securing work in Spain; and Faten, a student and religious fanatic whose faith is at odds with an influential man determined to destroy her future.
Sensitively written with beauty and boldness, this is a gripping book about what propels people to risk their lives in search of a better future.
Review:
"The four main characters of this linked series of fictional profiles are connected by a single goal: the desire to emigrate from Morocco to Spain, where there are jobs. Lalami, author of the literary blog moorishgirl.com, opens her book with the four (along with several others) illegally crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in a tiny inflatable raft; when it capsizes near shore, it is everyone for themselves. The next four chapters flash back to their varying lives in Morocco: Faten, a lower-class, college-aged woman appears only through the eyes of middle-class friend Noura's parents, who are horror-stricken as Noura falls under Faten's influence and begins wearing the hijab; Halima, a financially struggling mother who, with her children, is escaping an abusive marriage; Aziz Ammor, who hopes to support his wife by finding work in Spain; and Murad, a college graduate who makes pocket money by taking Paul Bowles fans on informal tours. The four following chapters detail, with sensitivity and journalistic clarity, their lives after the trip across the Strait. Less a novel than a set of finely detailed portraits, this book gives outsiders a glimpse of some of Moroccan society's strata and the desperation that underlies many ordinary lives. Agent, Stephanie Abou at the Joy Harris Agency." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:
"This intense portrait of a gorgeous, once-powerful civilization stands in stark relief to the modern society Lalami skillfully depicts with gritty realism...impressive: This could well be the preamble to an important body of work." Kirkus Reviews
Review:
"Lalami's story lines are evocative, her characters arresting, the settings vivid, and her voice pure and penetrating, ensuring that these striking tales of unsanctioned journeys and urgently improvised lives are at once timely and timeless." Booklist
Review:
"With subtlety and grace the author explores the emotional complexities of the culture they're trying to escape — one that bears more resemblance to ours than we may imagine." People
Review:
"Lalami's characters are believable, sympathetic, and quite ordinary, nurturing hopes and dreams of a better life in the face of harsh conditions. An eloquent, fascinating glimpse into Moroccan culture and traditions, this debut is highly recommended." Library Journal
Review:
"Lalami's debut novel is an absolute treasure. With realistic, clear, wonderful writing, she fully explores her characters — flaws, strengths, and all." Elizabeth Quinn, BUST
Review:
"Laila Lalami's compelling work of fiction provides an anatomy of hope and struggle. Building with quiet urgency, these tales gradually transform into the story of a nation and a profound moment in history." Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Crescent and The Language of Baklava
Review:
"Lalami writes in a style both pragmatic and poetic, with romance and the human condition coiled together.
An excellent book." Whitney Otto, author of How to Make an American Quilt
Review:
"A dream of a debut, by turns troubling and glorious, angry and wise. With her spare elegant prose Lalami has constructed a world remarkable for its resilience, its vibrancy, its motion, and yes, its hope." Junot Diaz, author of Drown
Review:
"With spare prose and superb characterization, these tales of determined struggle command fierce credibility and irresistible empathy....This is an unexpected and enthralling read from a promising new voice." Boldtype
Synopsis:
In this debut of an exciting new voice in fiction, Lalami evokes the grit and enduring grace that is modern Morocco. The book begins as four Moroccans illegally cross the Strait of Gibraltar in an inflatable boat headed for Spain. What has driven them to risk their lives?
About the Author
Laila Lalami was born in Rabat, Morocco and was educated in Morocco, Britain, and the United States.
Her work has appeared in Mizna, the Baltimore Review, the Los Angeles Times, the Independent, the Oregonian, and elsewhere. She is the creator of the popular literary blog Moorishgirl. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
What Our Readers Are Saying
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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
-
adnanem, June 11, 2008 (view all comments by adnanem)
OK.I WANT TO THANKS LEILA EL ALAMI FOR HER SENSITIVITY IN WRITING .SINCE I LIVE IN MOROCCO,I KNOW BETTER THAT SHE WAS VERY FRANC TOWARDS HER CONTRY.MY ANALISIS OF THE TITLE IS :hope (the moroccan dream).other(hope is no longer stronger).
I CAN SAY THAT SHE USED FICTIONAL CHARACTERS,BECAUSE EACH NAME REFLECTS A BEHAVIOUR IN THE MOROCCAN DIALECT MEANING.
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9781565124936
- Author:
- Publisher:
- Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
- Subject:
- Literary
- Subject:
- Spain
- Subject:
- Immigrants
- Subject:
- General Fiction
- Copyright:
- 2005
- Publication Date:
- October 2005
- Binding:
- Hardcover
- Grade Level:
- General/trade
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 195
- Dimensions:
- 7.16x5.68x.83 in. .62 lbs.
