Secret Son

Raised by his mother in a one-room house in the slums of Casablanca, Youssef El Mekki has always had big dreams of living another life in another world. Suddenly his dreams are within reach when he discovers that his father--whom he'd been led to believe was dead--is very much alive. A wealthy businessman, he seems eager to give his son a new start. Youssef leaves his mother behind to live a life of luxury, until a reversal of fortune sends him back to the streets and his childhood friends. Trapped once again by his class and painfully aware of the limitations of his prospects, he becomes easy prey for a fringe Islamic group.

In the spirit of The Inheritance of Loss and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Laila Lalami's debut novel looks at the struggle for identity, the need for love and family, and the desperation that grips ordinary lives in a world divided by class, politics, and religion.

Author: Laila Lalami
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 03/09/2010
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 8.14h x 5.62w x 0.86d
ISBN: 9781565129795

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.8
Point Value: 12
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 131610 / Secret Son


Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 03/21/2010 pg. 24

About the Author
Laila Lalami was born and raised in Morocco. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship and was short-listed for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2006. She lives in Los Angeles.