by Laila Lalami
2. How would you characterize the city of Casablanca—its culture, its society, its people—based on specifics from the novel? How does the author paint a portrait of the city using sensory details?
3. At one point in the novel (page 179), Amal and her mother see a Delacroix painting of Moroccan musicians. To Amal, the painting “looked nothing like [her] memories of home, and yet it made her miss it.” How does this contradiction between image and reality relate to Amal’s larger conflicts about, and longing for, home, family, and country?
4. In many ways, language in Morocco signifies class and social structure. Can you point to places where the use of different languages signifies social class? How is language used to include or exclude individuals or groups?
5. What is the significance of the opening epigraph by Gustavo Pérez Firmat? What does this say about the author’s own decision to write the novel in English rather than in her native Arabic or French? About Youssef’s decision to study English literature in college?
6. One of the novels that Youssef studies is The Great Gatsby, a classic American novel about, in part, class hierarchy and the so-called American dream. If you are familiar with Fitzgerald’s novel, what parallels do you see between Youssef’s story and Gatsby’s? What happens when the “dreams” that Youssef references (pages 31 and 90) are unattainable?
7. Youssef is fascinated by motion pictures and secretly longs to be a film actor. The theme of acting, of playing a part, runs throughout the novel. What roles are played by Youssef? By his mother? By Nabil Amrani? By Amal? Are any characters genuinely themselves, or are they all playing roles?
8. Youssef realizes (page 139) that “he was his father’s creature, waiting to be trained before it could be shown to the world.” Why does Youssef pursue a relationship with Nabil in the first place? What factors motivate Nabil to accept Youssef as his son? What do both men hope to achieve from the relationship? How does the relationship evolve over time?
9. Compare Youssef’s relationship with his father, Nabil Amrani, to the relationship he shares with his mother, Rachida Ouchak. How does Youssef’s behavior, demeanor, and impression of himself change in the context of each relationship?
10. At a couple of key points in the novel, the author retells the same scene (Youssef and Nabil’s first encounter, Amal’s visit to Rachida) from different points of view. How do these different perspectives shape your understanding of situations and characters? What new information do you learn from each point of view?
11. Over the course of the novel, Youssef and his friends, Amin and Maati, are drawn into the Islamist organization known simply as “the Party.” What techniques do Hatim and the other Party members use to gradually draw in these young men? What circumstances in Moroccan society work to the advantage of the Party? At what point did you begin to suspect that the Party might have sinister motives? Are there any other realistic opportunities available to young men of Youssef’s class beyond organizations like the Party?
12. Near the end of the novel, Youssef learns new information about his family history on his mother’s side. He realizes (page 282) that through the bloodlines of his mother’s and father’s families, he holds within him all of the richness and contradictions of the Moroccan people. In what ways does Youssef’s character and his story represent the larger challenges and struggles facing his country? Is Youssef’s story merely an allegory of an entire people, or does it also provide insights into a specific individual’s circumstances?
Reading group guide prepared by ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Laila Lalami was born and raised in Morocco. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2006. Her debut collection, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, was published in 2005. She lives in Los Angeles. Her Web site is lailalalami.com.
Praise for SECRET SON
“An intimate excursion into the interior world of contemporary Casablanca … Revelatory.”
—Chicago Tribune
“A tale of contemporary Morocco straddling the personal and the political, told simply, beautifully, with heart and panache. Lalami has talent to burn.”
—Gary Shteyngart, author of Absurdistan
“Lalami’s depiction of Moroccan life in Secret Son, illuminating the social, political, religious and poverty issues facing its citizens—especially its still-hopeful young—is both sensitive and startling.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Gives us an insider’s view of the underlying turmoil of Morocco … A nuanced depiction of the roots of Islamic terrorism, written by someone who intimately knows one of the stratified societies where it grows.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Lalami does an impressive job of concentrating on one young man’s Candide-like experiences among all sectors of a complicated society … She raises question after question—about privilege vs. poverty, Western commercialism vs. traditional ways, secularism vs. religion—without ever seeming to be doing more than telling a compelling story.”
—The Oregonian
“Lalami’s shocking final image [has] more or less tattooed itself onto my brain.”
—The Boston Globe
“Powerful … Beautifully written … A brilliant story of alienation and desperation that easily transports readers to hot, dusty Casablanca; highly recommended.”
—Library Journal, starred review
“Lalami writes with restraint but with great perceptiveness … Graceful.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“A welcome voice in the increasingly globalized world of literature.”
—Time Out New York
“A parable of modern-day Morocco … [Lalami] is an empathetic writer who translates the aspirations of those on the lower rungs of society in spare prose.”
—The Seattle Times
“An intense, deftly rendered coming-of-age story … Lalami’s precise, lucid prose pulls us in and doesn’t let go … Secret Son confirms Laila Lalami’s reputation as one of our more provocative and assured literary voices.”
—El Paso Times
“The story Lalami has chosen to tell, that of the illegitimate son, has been written for centuries, from Le Morte D’Arthur to Daniel Deronda, yet it feels fresh and original here … Secret Son is like a many-sided invention, which continues to revolve under the reader’s gaze … Lalami keeps surprising us up to the very last page … She understands how to tell a good and riveting story.”
—Harvard Review
“Laila Lalami brings contemporary Morocco to life in her debut novel, Secret Son. Literature like this helps to form a bridge between different cultures, fostering understanding of the unknown and illustrating the similarities between all of us … [Lalami] possesses a keen sense of careful phrasing and precise language.”
—PopMatters.com
“Lalami creates vivid characters, a beautiful setting and a page-turning plot … The world [she] creates for her characters is rich, detailed and accessible … I think Secret Son would be great for book clubs and for anyone looking for a compelling read.”
—Boston Bibliophile
“With its graceful prose, its movie-worthy plot, and its convincing, complex characters, this novel offers all of the traditional pleasures of a well-told story.”
—The Brooklyn Rail
“Quietly angry, beautifully atmospheric and achingly human, this debut novel examines many facets of the complex society of modern Morocco.”
—Bookreporter.com
“Lalami has crafted a contemporary novel focused through a clear-eyed vision of all of the pressures acting on Youssef: economic hardship, familial hang-ups and the complicated stew of Middle Eastern politics.”
—Time Out Chicago
“An absorbing tale.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A story brimming w
ith insight into the complexities of life in contemporary Morocco.”
—Booklist
“Lalami’s exploration of her subjects and characters is poignant, complex, deeply reflective, and compassionate; and her prose is robust and elegant. A wonderful book.”
—Chris Abani, author of The Virgin of Flames and Song for Night
“Lalami’s tale of a young Moroccan man who must navigate between a bleak background and a bright possibility is magnificently told and wrenched my heart.”
—Joe Sacco, author of Palestine
ALSO BY LAILA LALAMI
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits