Moroccan American Author, Laila Lalami, on Her Second Novel "...

At her reading, organized by Algonquin Books, Washington Moroccan Club and Border Books, in Washington DC, Moroccan American Author, Laila Lalami, described the central character of her second novel in English, "Secret Son", as a poor young man in contemporary Morocco, his aspirations of education and escape from the Casablanca Slum where he lives with his mother, the revelation that his father is still alive and doing well and his sub-sequential adventures.

In a lively Q&A session following her presentation, She refused to be seen as anything but a novelist, "I am not pretending to know my native country Morocco any more than anyone else". She said that she does not necessarily aim to do social criticism, or write about any particular issue, her main focus as a novelist, is to write a story as best I can. And since her characters live in Moroccan society, that society's characteristics, contradictions and shortcomings are laid bare to the reader to ponder.
What emerged from her second book, Secret Son, is ambiguity, and that, for Laila Lalami, is normal providing her upbringing, education, experience both here in the States and in Morocco.
In an interview with MoroccoBoard TV, Laila Lalami took issue with her comparisons to Moroccan Writer Tahar Ben Jelloun, as the marquee Moroccan author in English. She said that she couldnt start believing all the hype that is being written out there. "It is dangerous for an author to do that".
She also confessed that she has been heartened by the outpouring support from the Moroccan American Community both online and at her book tour throughout the country.

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