Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits

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Review PRAISE FOR"HOPE AND OTHER DANGEROUS PURSUITS""Lalami skillfully limns the dark recesses of the Muslim world and creates true-to-life characters . . . With subtlety and grace [she] explores the emotional complexities of the culture they're trying to escape--one that bears more resemblance to ours than we may imagine."--"People""Moroccan-born Lailai Lalami's thrilling debut novel follows four desperate people . . . fleeing Morocco in a flimsy boat across the dangerous Strait of Gibraltar in a death-defying bid for freedom in Spain, a narrative journey that the popular morrishgirl.com blogger Lalami handles with a keen sense of history, hope, and panache."--"Elle"PRAISE FOR "HOPE AND OTHER DANGEROUS PURSUITS""Lalami skillfully limns the dark recesses of the Muslim world and creates true-to-life characters . . . With subtlety and grace [she] explores the emotional complexities of the culture they re trying to escape one that bears more resemblance to ours than we may imagine." "People""Moroccan-born Lailai Lalami s thrilling debut novel follows four desperate people . . . fleeing Morocco in a flimsy boat across the dangerous Strait of Gibraltar in a death-defying bid for freedom in Spain, a narrative journey that the popular morrishgirl.com blogger Lalami handles with a keen sense of history, hope, and panache." "Elle""PRAISE FOR HOPE AND OTHER DANGEROUS PURSUITS"Lalami skillfully limns the dark recesses of the Muslim world and creates true-to-life characters . . . With subtlety and grace [she] explores the emotional complexities of the culture they're trying to escape--one that bears more resemblance to ours than we may imagine."--People"Moroccan-born Lailai Lalami's thrilling debut novel follows four desperate people . . . fleeing Morocco in a flimsy boat across the dangerous Strait of Gibraltar in a death-defying bid for freedom in Spain, a narrative journey that the popular morrishgirl.com blogger Lalami handles with a keen sense of history, hope, and panache."--Elle Read more From the Back Cover "A bracing and beautiful little novel."?The Washington Post Book World In her exciting debut, Laila Lalami evokes the grit and enduring grace that is modern Morocco and offers an authentic look at the Muslim immigrant experience today.For reasons as different as the lives they are leaving behind, four Muslims illegally cross the Strait of Gibraltar in an inflatable boat headed for Spain. What has driven these men and women to risk their lives? And will the rewards prove to be worth the danger? Sensitively written with beauty and boldness, this is a gripping book about people in search of a better future."Lalami skillfully limns the dark recesses of the Muslim world and creates true-to-life characters . . .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"In a book that feels as contemporary as a newspaper headline, that seems to explain so much . . . Lalami paints a vivid picture of modern-day Morocco as a place of dashed dreams and political repression."--The Boston GlobeLaila Lalami was born and raised in Rabat and educated in Morocco, Britain, and the United States. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Review, the Oregonian, the Nation, and elsewhere. She is the creator and editor of Moorishgirl.com, a blog about books and culture. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Reading Group Guide available at www.HarcourtBooks.com. Read more See all Editorial Reviews