“A dream of a debut, by turns troubling and glorious, angry and wise. With her spare elegant prose Lalami has constructed a world remarkable for its resilience, its vibrancy, its motion, and yes, its hope.” —PULITZER PRIZE WINNER JUNOT DÍAZ, AUTHOR OF DROWN “Laila Lalami’s compelling work of fiction provides an anatomy of hope and struggle. Building with quiet urgency, these tales gradually transform into the story of a nation and a profound moment in history.” —DIANA ABU-JABER, AUTHOR OF CRESCENT AND THE LANGUAGE OF BAKLAVA “Lalami writes in a style both pragmatic and poetic, with romance and the human condition coiled together. An excellent book”. —WHITNEY OTTO, AUTHOR OF HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT