Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits

Most of us know Lalami for her Pulitzer finalist THE MOOR'S ACCOUNT or her 2020 essay collection CONDITIONAL CITIZENS. This is her debut novel, originally published in 2005. This slice of life novel follows the lives of four Moroccans in pursuit of a better future in Spain. In just under 200 pages, we get a glimpse at their lives before and after they cross the Strait of Gibraltar. While this book lacks the polish and depth of THE MOOR'S ACCOUNT, I was nonetheless captivated by these storylines and how they show the many possible reasons and outcomes for taking such risk.