Youssef El Mekki is a 19-year-old who lives with his mother in the slums of Casablanca. Like anyone of his age, he struggles for an identity. His poverty and the absence of a father compound this need. He feels rejected, a stigmatised, bastard child. That is, until he discovers that his long-lost father is a very wealthy businessman who lives on the good side of town.

Youssef El Mekki is suddenly Youssef Amrani, the occupier of a plush apartment, son of Nabil Amrani. He has a job and a life away from the hellish slums and putrid stench of people living on top of each other. Here he dines in restaurants and people greet him. It’s a world of designer labels, greed and connections. But fate will send him back to his slums depressed, and more lost than ever. In this glumness, it is the Party – an Islamic organisation – that will befriend him. Before he knows it, his identity will be forever lost to the social and political agendas of fanatics.

This is a beautifully written novel that highlights the socio-economical dichotomy in this part of the world.