97. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami (Fiction) 186 p.

World Lit Challenge: Morocco

From the back cover:

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?

(There’s something strange about the use of the word “Muslims” in that blurb, since the chief thing the four have in common is that they are Moroccan, not that they are Muslim.)

While in search of world literature for my challenge, I came across a recommendation for this book. Although I didn’t immediately order it from the bookstore, I was intrigued enough by the description and the attractive cover to check out Laila Lalami’s blog, as well as some of her articles. She’s an intelligent, articulate writer (and one who writes often about African and Asian authors and novels, for those interested in world lit.) Although great articles do not necessarily indicate a talent for writing fiction, I was intrigued enough to order her debut novel.

I’m so glad I did.

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits is divided into three sections; anyone who has read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus will be familiar with the structure. The novel’s prologue opens on an inflatable raft in the Strait of Gibraltar, where thirty-odd people, mostly adult Moroccans, are hoping to make the 14-kilometre crossing without attracting the attention of the Spanish coast guard. If caught, they will be arrested and deported, returning to Morocco 20,000 dirhams poorer. If they remain free, they will have the chance to start from nothing in Spain, but with better prospects than they would have had at home.

Part I goes back and follows the four main characters as events in their lives begin to lead them to attempt the crossing. A woman with an abusive husband, a young man with a wife and parents to support, a young woman involved in an Islamic fundamentalist group, and a man whose degree in English language and literature have left him unqualified for any of the few jobs available. Part II follows the same people after the trip, showing the changes it has made in their lives. Since the characters are united only by the trip itself, the book reads a bit like a book of short stories, albeit one more unified than most.

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits did what all good fiction does for me: it took me out of my life and dropped me into someone else’s, and not only for the few hours I spent reading it. Laila Lalami has created characters who will stay with me. She has also given me some insight into the culture and the socio-economic situation in Morocco today.

Lalami’s prose is straightforward but graceful. I particularly liked the way her characters would (briefly) explain things the reader already knew, but which it would be natural for a narrator to expand on. It made their accounts seem more natural, rather than tailored to fit the format of the book. It was a lovely touch to an already excellent work of fiction.

I hope to see lots more from Laila Lalami, although at the moment this is her only published novel.

Books read: 97/100 (97%)
Pages read: 28,948/30,000 (96%)

Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2007, Laila Lalami, World Lit Challenge