Seemingly sprung from the trap of the Casablanca slums when he learns that his father, far from being dead, is in fact a Moroccan tycoon, Youssef is soon caught in a complex web of familial and political intrigue. In this superb short novel, Laila Lalami deftly limns the rise and fall of Youssef El Mekki, unacknowledged bastard son of prominent businessman, disillusioned activist, and bon vivant Nabil El Amrani. This is wonderful storytelling but the story ended up letting me down. I was very engaged when I was reading, at least up until toward the very end, but the way the story ended left me unsatisfied I was gratified by how some of the subplots played out, but ultimately I was disappointed I think I would have been much more pleased by so many different endings, sad or happy or any mix of the two. Perhaps it’s because I knew the gist of the plot before I read the book, but I felt that the book kept to a very narrow range of tone. Yes, there are characters in good humor and even characters that experience amusement, but I was never amused. My two main complaints about this book are what I consider a weak ending and the lack of humor. I felt some relief that in the end the characters did seem realistic and true to how they’d been crafted.

I was a bit stunned by the ending, even though I had a good idea of what was coming. But, I was still not so sold on some of the events, not really. I understand depression despair, rage, and I could empathize greatly with most of the main characters, the privileged and the poverty stricken. It’s about poverty and injustice and other ills that can lead to poor conclusions. It’s also about the feeling of not belonging. This book is all about betrayal, both with malice and with supposed love and protection in mind. It was a bit jarring, but it was effective. It was a little weird at first but I ended up appreciating the separate sections to show the different points of view of the various characters. I admired how while parts of this story are about big issues, the significance of the psychological aspects of family, including what’s happened in past generations, and of friends and community, and most of all the importantce of each person’s psychological makeup was shown clearly. I got a great feel for various parts of Morocco and what it feels like to be an immigrant. This book had a good mix of the personal and political, heavy on the personal, which I liked. This book has such an enjoyable writing style it’s very accessible and the book is a really quick read, and a pleasant read, despite its tragic subject matter.

Secret son by laila lalami