Following a freak flood in the area, a group of Islamic extremists comes to aid the locals and surreptitiously gain a toehold in furthering their own agenda. There are few possibilities for young men in Lalami’s Morocco, and even fewer for Youssef and his friends, with their bad address. Secret Son is rife with role-playing worthy of the silver screen, but Youssef is not as clever at identifying acting as he would like. Youssef dreams of a life with Hollywood endings, where heroes and villains are easily identifiable, as is the appropriate young woman the hero should end up with.
Every week he goes to see a foreign film in the decrepit local theater, his sole luxury. Though they have little except the roof over their heads, Youssef’s mother has raised her son to be honest and thoughtful, and even to dream of a life outside of the slum. Youssef El Mekki has been raised by his widowed mother in Hay An Najat, a slum of Casablanca. In the end, we’re all just trying to get by, and perhaps hoping for something that makes the next day worth experiencing. Literature like this helps to form a bridge between different cultures, fostering understanding of the unknown and illustrating the similarities between all of us, whether we live in poverty or wealth, in a Christian, Islamic, or secular society. (Apr.From the dingiest of slums to the elegance of privileged Casablancan society, Laila Lalami brings contemporary Morocco to life in her debut novel, Secret Son. Unfortunately, Lalami riddles the book with uninspired descriptions and observations Youssef and Nabril are less than distinctive and the climax lacks impact. But just as quickly, it is all taken away, and when Youssef returns to his old neighborhood-now the headquarters of a fringe Islamist group-he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy.
Once Nabil invites Youssef back into his life, Youssef suddenly has all the luxuries he has ever dreamed about: a new apartment in the best neighborhood and a decent job. The two meet just as a rift has developed between Nabil and his daughter, Amal, who is studying in America. The news precipitates Youssef's quest to find his father, who turns out to be the rich, well-connected businessman Nabil Amrani. ) follows Youssef El Mekki, a 19-year-old living in the slums of Casablanca who learns that his father-believed to be dead-is alive. Lalami's unpolished first novel (after story collection Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
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