If All of Rochester Read the Same Book…
By Pauline Moc, Student Intern of CHASS College Computing

In Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Laila Lalami describes the lives of four Moroccans: Faten, who dons a hijab; Halima, who is escaping an abusive marriage; Aziz Ammor, who plans to seek work in Spain; and Murad, a college graduate who earns money by taking Paul Bowles fans on informal tours. These characters are united by a common goal: the desire to emigrate from Morocco to Spain.

Lalami's first novel, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, was chosen for the Writers & Books program "If All of Rochester Read the Same Book…". The events began on Saturday, January 9th and will end in May. Writers & Books programs engage more than 25,000 Rochester, New York residents and are geared to help citizens discover the impact literature plays in our lives and our communities. 

Lalami, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, received her B.A. in English from University Mohammed V in Rabat, her M.A. from University College London, and her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Southern California. Her pieces have been featured in various publications including, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The Nation. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits has been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch.

For a full list of  "If All of Rochester Read the Same Book…" events, visit http://www.wab.org/events/allofrochester/2008/events.shtml